P  c 
1821 
V3  8 
1915 
MAIN 


UC-NRLF 


B    q    OWE    T72 


\LECTS  OF  CENTRAL 
ITALY 


(RIES 


BY 

HERBERT  H.  fluGHAN,  Ph.D. 

University  of  Pennsylvania 


PHILADELPHIA 
191S 


THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL 

ITALY 


BY 

HERBERT  hH^AUGHAN,  Ph.D. 

University  of  Pennsylvania 


PHILADELPHIA 
1915 


7^1  §2  I 


JOSEPH  G.  ROSENGARTEN 

THIS    MONOGRAPH 

IS  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED  AS  A 

MODEST  TOKEN  OF  GRATITUDE  FOR  HIS  CONSTANT  AND  GENEROUS 

DEVOTION  TO  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  PENNSYLVANIA 

AND  ESPECIALLY  TO  THE  ADVANCEMENT 

OF  MODERN  LANGUAGE  STUDIES 


34G483 


PREFACE. 

The  purpose  of  this  study  is  not  a  minute  examination  of 
all  the  dialects  in  the  territory  indicated.  If  such  were  the 
case  the  work,  instead  of  being  in  one  small  volume,  would 
cover  many  and  instead  of  being  published  after  a  few  years 
of  investigation,  it  would  require  a  lifetime  for  its  comple- 
tion. The  writer  will  be  content  if  he  succeeds  in  giving 
the  reader  a  general  idea  of  the  dialectic  peculiarities  to  be 
found  in  Central  Italy  and  if  with  the  information  herein 
contained,  the  reader  may  be  enabled  to  identify  a  given  text 
or  a  given  pronunciation  as  coming  from  a  certain  province. 
For  this  purpose  a  treatment  of  phonological  phenomena  is 
sufficient  and  the  writer  does  not  attempt  to  deal  with  dialectic 
vocabularies  which  would  necessarily  be  incomplete  and  un- 
satisfactory. It  would  indeed  be  unwise  for  a  foreigner  to 
attempt  such  a  task. 

Many  of  the  Central  Italian  and  Abruzzese  dialects  have 
been  ably  treated  by  the  scholars  best  fitted  to  write  of  them, 
that  is,  by  natives  of  that  territory.  The  information  con- 
tained in  these  studies  has  been  freely  used.  In  cases  where 
the  author  considered  the  development  noted  to  be  extra- 
ordinary he  has  gone  personally  to  verify  it,  but  generally  he 
might  have  dispensed  with  so  doing,  for  the  work  had  been 
excellently  done.  The  list  of  articles  used  will  be  found  in 
the  bibliography  appended  to  this  preface. 

In  order  to  retain  as  nearly  as  possible  the  orthography  of 
the  dialect  literature  it  has  been  deemed  advisable  not  to  at- 
tempt to  use  a  phonetic  alphabet.  The  words  are  to  be 
pronounced  according  to  Italian  standards  of  pronunciation.. 
In  the  article  on  Tuscan,  however,  H,  a  simple  aspirate  (cf. 
English   H)    is   differentiated   from  the   harsh   velar  ft    (cf.. 

5 


6  PREFACE 

German  CH).  In  the  chapters  on  Abruzzese  and  Neapolitan 
open  E  and  O  are  indicated  by  the  grave  accent  ( ' )  and 
close  E  and  O  by  the  acute  (').  Where  no  accent  is  given 
the  pronunciation  of  the  accented  vowel  has  been  noted  to 
vary  between  open  and  close.  Close  A,  where  it  occurs  is  in- 
dicated by  A.  Palatal  S  is  shown  by  S.  Indistinct  vowels 
are  shown  as  A,  E,  I,  O,  U. 

The  writer  gratefully  acknowledges  the  valuable  sugges- 
tions offered  by  Professors  E.  S.  Sheldon,  J.  D.  M.  Ford, 
and  C.  H.  Grandgent  of  Harvard,  Professor  Raymond  Weeks 
of  Columbia,  and  Professors  H.  A.  Rennert  and  J.  P.  Wicker- 
sham  Crawford  of  Pennsylvania. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

F.  D'OVIDIO,  Fonetica  del  dialetto  di  Campobasso,  Arch.  Glott.  IV. 
u  G.  ASCOLI,  L'ltalia  Dialettale,  Arch.  Glott.  VIII. 

W-L.  CECI,  Vocalismo  del  dialetto  d'Alatri,  Arch.  Glott.  X. 
V  C.  de  LOLLIS,  Dell'influsso  dell'- 1  o  del  J  postonico  sulla  vocale  ac- 
centata  in  qualche  dialetto  abruzzese,  Arch.  Glott.  XII. 

S.  FIERI,  Fonetica  del  dialetto  Lucchese,  Arch.  Glott.  XII. 

S.  FIERI,  Fonetica  del  dialetto  Fisano,  Arch.  Glott.  XII. 
I    E.  G.  FARODI,  II  dialetto  d'Arpino,  Arch.  Glott.  XIII. 

S.  FIERI,  II  dialetto  gallo-romano  di  Sillano,  Arch.  Glott.  XIII. 

G.  FINAMORE,  Vocabulario  Abruzzese,  (ist  and  2nd  ed.). 

G.  SAVIN  I,  La  grammatica  ed  il  lessico  del  dialetto  Teramano,  Tor- 
ino, 1881. 
G.  FAFANTI,  I  parlari  Italiani  in  Certaldo,  Livorno,  1875. 

F.  WENTRUF,  Beitrage  zur  Kenntniss  der  Neapolitanischen  Mundart, 

Wittenberg,  1855. 
ZUCCAGNI-ORLANDINI,  Raccolta  di  dialetti  Italiani,  Firenze,  1864. 
MEYER-LUBKE,  Grammatica  storico-comparata  della  lingua  Italiana 

e  dei  dialetti  Toscani,  Torino,  1901. 

G.  N'ERUCCI,   Saggio   di  uno  studio   sopra  i  parlari  vernacoli  della 
Toscana. 

In  addition  to  the  above-mentioned  articles  and  volumes,  more  than 
a  hundred  collections  of  dialectic  poems  have  been  studied. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction ii 

CHAPTER  I 
Central  Italian  Dialects 

A.  Tuscan  Group i6 

I.  Pistojese ....  17 

II.  Florentine 18 

III.  Siennese 19 

IV.  Arettine 20 

V.  Perugian 21 

VI.  Luccan  ....              22 

VII.  Pisan 23 

VIII.  Livornese 24 

B.  Roman  Group 25 

I.  Orbitellano 26 

II.  Roman 27 

III.  Ternano 28 

IV.  Nettunese 28 

V.  Anconitano .       29 

CHAPTER  II 
Abruzzese  Dialects 

Tonic  Vowels 30 

A 30 

E 33 

I 36 

O 37 

U 41 

Pretonic  Vowels 42 

Initial 42 

Non-Initial 43 

Post-tonic  Vowels 44 

Non-Final , 44 

Final 44 

7 


8  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGB 

Initial  Consonants 45 

B 45 

P 46 

F 47 

V 48 

D    .   .   .       48 

T 49 

L 49 

M SO 

N 51 

R • 52 

S  and  X 53 

C 55 

G 56 

J  and  D  I 57 

Q  u 57 

Medial  Consonants 58 

B S8 

P 59 

F 60 

V 60 

D 61 

T 62 

L 63 

M 65 

N    . 66 

R 67 

S 69 

C 69 

G 70 

J 71 

CHAPTER  III 

Neapolitan 

Tonic  Vowels 72 

Pretonic  Vowels 73 

Post-tonic  Vowels 76 

Initial  Consonants tj 

B 78 

F 79 

V 79 

P 80 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PAGE 

D 8i 

T 8i 

L 8i 

M 82 

N 83 

R - 84 

S  and  X 84 

C              87 

G 87 

J  and  D  I 88 

Q  U 88 

Medial  Consonants 89 


B 
F 
V 
P 
D 
T 
L 
M 
N 
R 
S 

c 

G 
J 


89 
89 
90 
90 

91 
92 
92 
94 
95 
96 
97 
98 
99 
99 


Final  Consonants 100 


w 


INTRODUCTION. 

Dialects  of  Central  Italy. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  fields  for  dialect  study  to-day 
is  that  offered  by  Central  Italy.  Here  we  can  study  the 
phonological  developments  with  a  fair  degree  of  accuracy  and 
certainty,  starting  with  a  well-established  pronunciation  of 
the  Latin  of  Imperial  times,  and  whenever  and  wherever 
foreign  influence  makes  itself  felt,  we  know  its  date  and 
its  extent. 

There  are  many  factors  in  dialect  development,  the  most 
important  being  racial.  When  Latin  was  learned  by  the 
Goth  or  the  Lombard,  we  should  hardly  expect  him  to  speak 
it  with  a  Ciceronian  accent,  but  rather  that  he  should  preserve 
some  of  the  tendencies  of  the  Germanic  languages  in  his 
speech.  Even  phonetic  laws  of  development  may  be  trans- 
ferred locally  from  one  language  to  another  in  this  way.  It 
would  not  be  surprising  then  that  the  main  dialect  divisions 
of  our  territory  should  be  determined  by  such  foreign  in- 
fluence. 

When  the  Germanic  tribes  came  into  Italy,  the  first  im- 
portant barrier  to  their  progress  that  they  found  was  the 
main  chain  of  the  Apennines,  stretching  across  the  penin- 
sula from  the  Mediterranean  nearly  to  the  Adriatic.  This 
range  sharply  divides  the  Northern  from  the  Central  Italian 
dialects. 

Once  in  Tuscany,  their  advance  to  the  South  as  far  as 
Rome  and  the  Alban  Hills  was  unimpeded,  but  their  pro- 
gress towards  the  East  and  Southeast  was  again  stopped 
by  the  mountains  on  the  frontier  of  the  Abruzzi.  This 
barrier  marks  the  dividing  line  between  Central  Italian  and 
the  Neapolitan  group  of  dialects. 

II 


12  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

Roughly  speaking,  our  territory  is  thus  divided  into  two 
parts,  Central  Italian,  which  includes  Tuscany,  Umbria, 
Latium,  and  the  Marches  of  Pesaro  and  Ancona,  and  Neapoli- 
tan, which  includes  the  provinces  of  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro, 
Molise,  Aquila,  Chieti,  Teramo,  and  the  Marches  of  Ascoli 
and  Macerata. 

But  the  Neapolitan  teritory  should  again  be  divided  and 
the  reason  for  this  subdivision  is  chronologically  anterior  to 
that  for  the  division  into  Central  Italian  and  Neapolitan. 
In  pre-Latin  times  Oscan  was  the  speech  of  this  territory, 
the  Oscan  itself  being  more  or  less  divided  into  dialects.  When 
Rome  gained  the  supremacy,  it  forced  the  Latin  language  upon 
the  rest  of  Italy  so  that  most  of  the  Italian  tribes  spoke  it 
fairly  well;  but  the  savage  and  mountainous  country  of  the 
Abruzzi  was  never  fully  romanized  and  its  inhabitants  spoke 
a  Latin  which  is  described  to  us  as  being  crude  and  bar- 
barous. On  the  other  hand  Terra  di  Lavoro  and  Naples 
were  completely  latinized  and  Naples  itself  was  a  centre  of 
culture  second  only  to  Rome.  Thus  we  have  three  important 
dialect  divisions,  Central  Italian,  Neapolitan,  and  Abruzzese. 

Literature,  both  popular  and  learned,  is  an  important  level- 
ing influence  in  language  development.  Dante  so  crystalized 
the  literary  Tuscan  that  since  his  time  it  has  changed  less 
than  French  since  the  time  of  Rabelais.  The  educated  Nea- 
politan or  the  educated  Abruzzese  reads  his  Dante  and  other 
works  of  Italian  literature,  learns  Italian,  and  when  he  speaks 
his  dialect  he  carries  over  words  and  expressions  from  the 
literary  language.  Thus  we  may  expect  to  find  Tuscan  bor- 
rowings in  all  the  dialects. 

But  Neapolitan  also  has  its  literature  which,  although  not 
so  rich  as  the  Tuscan,  is  extremely  popular.  Consequently, 
we  are  not  surprised  to  note  its  influence  upon  other  dialects, 
especially  in  Molise  and  the  Abruzzi  which  were  for  so  long 
a  time  under  the  political  control  of  Naples. 

In  some  parts  of  the  territory,  classical  learning  is  of 
importance  as  a  retarding  influence  in  the  development  of  the 
dialect,  since  consciousness  of  the  Latin  form  may  serve  to 


INTRODUCTION 


13 


check  the  normal  phonetic  development.  Naturally  the  dis- 
tricts in  which  this  occurs  are  usually  very  small  and  fre- 
quently present  two  strata  of  words:  patrician  (which  show 
the  retarding  influence  of  the  Classical  form)  and  plebeian 
(which  usually  show  normal  phonetic  development  and  which 
represent  the  vocabulary  of  the  lower  classes).  Frequently 
we  find  patrician  and  plebeian  forms  existing  side  by  side, 
sometimes  with  the  same  meaning,  sometimes  differentiated 
in  meaning. 

(Neap.  FRATO  (patrician),  SCIATO  (plebeian),  fiato ; 
PREBBA  (patrician),  bassa  gente,  CHIEVE  (plebeian), 
commune,  communita   (Lat.  plebem). 

The  most  important  places  in  which  Classical  influence  is 
to  be  noted  are  Cortona  (Upper  town),  Assisi,  Chieti,  Cassino, 
and  Naples  (especially  the  sezioni  of  Chiaja,  San  Giuseppe, 
and  Porta  Capuana). 

In  Cortona,  Assisi,  Chieti,  and  Cassino  the  Classical  in- 
fluence was  due  to  the  monasteries.  Consequently  it  was 
more  or  less  restricted  to  the  dependencies  of  those  institu- 
tions and  made  itself  felt  only  in  vocabulary.  In  Naples, 
however,  it  was  quite  different.  Here  Classical  learning  had 
never  completely  died  out  and  we  even  find  a  retention  of 
the  old  "  quantitative  accent  "  or  vowel  quantity  of  the  Classic 
Latin.  Then,  as  Neapolitan  became  a  language  of  consider- 
able literary  importance,  many  of  its  patrician  words  were 
borrowed  by  other  dialects,  especially  within  the  Kingdom  of 
Naples.  We  may  even  suppose  in  our  study  of  the  dialects 
of  the  Abruzzi  and  Molise  that  the  Neapolitan  system  of  ac- 
centuation was  for  some  time  prevalent  throughout  the  major 
part  of  the  territory,  for  otherwise  it  would  be  very  difiicult 
to  explain  many  of  the  regular  phonetic  developments  in  these 
regions. 

There  is  perhaps  no  more  fundamental  determinant  in  the 
development  of  a  language  than  its  accent.  The  develop- 
ment of  every  sound  in  a  language  is  directly  dependent  upon 
the  force  expended  in  pronouncing  it  and  the  time  employed 
in  doing  so.     Generally  speaking,  when  no  strong  stress  is 


M 


THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 


used  the  tiow  of  language  will  be  softer  and  more  even,  the 
explosion  of  the  consonants  will  have  less  force,  and  their 
development  will  be  less  dependent  upon  their  position,  since" 
in  initial  position  they  will  have  no  more  force  than  when 
medial  and  will  therefore  undergo  approximately  the  same 
changes.  Only  slight  stress  being  used,  aspirates  do  not  ap- 
pear and  voiceless  consonants,  losing  their  force  of  breath,  be- 
come weaker  than  the  voiced ;  therefore  a  consonant  is  on  its 
way  to  disappearance  when  from  voiced  it  becomes  voiceless. 
The  quantity  of  a  syllable  will  seldom  be  shortened  since,  if 
the  vowel  for  any  reason  loses  its  length,  the  consonant  im.- 
mediately  following  is  doubled  in  compensation.  Syncope 
is  less  frequent  inasmuch  as,  there  being  no  strongly  stressed 
syllable,  the  unstressed  syllables  are  less  slighted.  These 
rules  all  apply  to  Neapolitan. 

In  Central  Italy  there  are  two  remnants  of  the  quantita- 
tive "  accent  " ;  ( i )  the  retention  of  the  double  consonants, 
which  tend  to  disappear  under  a  strong  stress  accent  and  which 
have  disappeared  almost  entirely  in  Northern  Italy,  (2)  the 
distinct  pronunciation  of  unaccented  syllables  which  are 
slighted  and  even  disappear  in  the  North. 


\ 


^ 


CHAPTER  U 
Central  Italian  Dl\lects. 

The  Central  Italian  group  of  dialects,  or  lingua  tos- 
cana,  may  be  roughly  described  as  the  vernacular  speech 
of  the  provinces  of  Tuscany,  Umbria,  Ancona,  and  Latium. 

Dividing  this  territory  into  two  almost  equal  parts,  there 
rises  the  range  of  Monte  Amiata,  continued  to  the  East  by 
the  Umbrian  highland.  The  dialects  spoken  to  the  North  of 
this  line  may  be  called  Tuscan  while  those  to  the  South  may 
be  classed  as  Roman. 

The  chief  divergences  to  be  found  between  the  spoken 
language  (or  Lingua  Toscana)  as  a  whole  and  the  Literary 
Italian  are: 

i)  The  dropping  of  the  final  -RE  of  the  infinitive  which 
is  almost  universal  in  verbs  of  the  first  conjugation  and  very 
frequent  in  those  of  the  second  and  third.  This  tendency  is 
less  marked  in  the  Montagna  Lucchese  and  the  Montagna 
Pistojese.  It  is  also  a  characteristic  of  Neapolitan  and 
Abruzzese. 

2)  The  confusion  between  L  and  R  before  consonants  or 
when  final,  the  pronunciation  tending  towards  R  except  in 
Pisa  and  Livorno  where  it  is  often  difficult  to  distinguish 
which  is  used.  In  the  Montagna  Lucchese  and  the  Montagna 
Pistojese  L  and  R  are  however  usually  differentiated. 

The  Masculine  Singular  definite  article  is  ER. 

AR,  al ;  COR,  col ;  ARTRO,  altro ;  QUARCUNO,  qualcuno. 

^  H,  a  simple  aspirate  (cf.  English  H)  is  differentiated  from  the 
harsh  velar  H  (cf.  German  CH).  Palatal  S  is  shown  by  §.  The  ac- 
cents usually  written  in  the  literary  language  are  kept. 

IS 


l6  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

(Pisa,  Livorno)  '  TOLNA(RE).  tornare;  TULCO,  turco. 
3)  The  development  of  NGE,  NGI  into  GN  (NY)  which 
is  common  except  in  the  vicinity  of  Pisa  and  Livorno. 
PIAGNE(RE);  SPEGNE(RE). 

Tuscan  Dialects. 

C  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  is  pronounced  as  SC  (§). 

C  before  A,  O,  or  U  is  an  aspirate  (H,  H). 

CC  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  is  pronoimced  as  TSC  (T§). 

Diminutives  in  -INO. 

Circumlocution  NOI  SI  VA.  NOI  SI  PARLA. 

The  most  striking  characteristics  of  the  Tuscan  group  of 
dialects  are: 

i)  The  pronunciation  of  C  intervocalic  before  E  or  I  as  if 
it  were  SC. 

DICE  (pronounced  DISCE), 
while  CC  in  the  same  position  is  pronounced  as  TSC. 

CACCIA,   cf.   CACIO    (pronounced   CASCIO). 

2)  The  aspiration  of  C  before  A,  O,  and  U. 
CASA  (pronounced  CHASA  and  even  ft  ASA). 

3)  The  very  frequent  use  of  diminutives  in  -INO. 
BELLING;  POCHINO;  PIANINO;  PICCINO. 

4)  The  use  of  circumlocutions  to  avoid  the  first  person 
plural  in  -lAMO. 

NOI  SI  VA;  NOI  SI  PARLA,  &c. 

The  Roman  dialects  on  the  other  hand  pronounce  C  inter- 
vocalic before  E  and  I  as  if  it  were  TSC,  C  before  \ A,  O, 
ajid  U  as  K  (without  aspiration),  use  diminutives  in  -ETTO 
(RAGAZZETTO;  POCHETTO;  &c.)  often  discarding  a 
diminutive  which  can  only  be  formed  with  -INO,  and  freely 
use  the  first  person  plural  in  -lAMO,  -AMMO,  -AMO. 

1  When  examples  are  common  to  most  of  the  territory  they  are  given 
without  any  note  thereof ;  when,  however,  they  are  distinctly  local  the 
place  is  noted  in  parentheses. 


CENTRAL  ITALIAN  DIALECTS 


17 


The  Tuscan  dialects  may  be  roughly  divided  into : 

I.  Pistojese,  spoken  in  Pistoja  and  the  mountains  to  the 
North  and  West. 

II.  Florentine,  spoken  in  the  middle  Vaklarno  and  North- 
ern Chianti. 

III.  Siennese,  spoken  in  the  central  Tuscan  Highland  and 
the  valley  of  the  Ombrone. 

IV.  Arettine,  spoken  in  the  upper  Valdarno,  the  Val  di 
Chiana,  and  the  upper  Val  di  Tevere. 

V.  Perugian,  spoken  in  the  vicinity  of  Perugia  and  as  far 
as  Lago  Trasimeno. 

VI.  Luccan,  spoken  in  Lucca  and  the  Apuan  Alps. 
(Separated  from  Pisan  by  the  Monte  Pisano  and  a  malarial 
region  betv^een  the  Arno  and  the  Serchio.) 

VII.  Pisan,  spoken  in  the  lower  Valdarno.  (Separated 
from  Livornese  by  a  malarial  district.) 

VIII.  Livornese,  spoken  in  Livorno  and  the  Montagna 
Livornese. 

I.  Pistojese. 

The  language  of  the  Montagna  Pistojese  differs  but  little 
in  pronunciation  from  the  literary  standard. 

C  before  A,  O,  and  U  is  but  slightly  aspirated.    (K,  KH). 

CHASA;  CHASERMA;  CHOME;  CURA(RE), 
CHURA(RE). 

Note.)  The  dialect  of  the  city  of  Pistoja  may  change  C 
before  A,  O,  or  U  into  a  spirant  (H)  when  initial  or  inter- 
vocalic or  may  lose  it  entirely.     (K>KH,  fl,  or  disappears). 

C  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  the  rest  of  Tuscany ;  i.  e., 
intervocalic  it  is  pronounced  as  if  it  were  SC  (§),  while  initial 
or  after  consonants  it  is  pronounced  as  TSC  (T§). 

DOLCEZZA;  CERTO ;  FACE(V)A;  (the  spellings 
DOLCIEZZA,  CIERTO,  FACIEVA,  FACIEA  not  repre- 
senting the  true  pronunciation  but  being  simply  analogical). 

G  before  A,  O,  and  U  is  occasionally  aspirated.  (G>G 
or  GH). 

PAG(H)A(RE);  AG(H)0. 


l8  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

LY  intervocalic  usually  becomes  GLI  (L)  as  in  the  literary 
language,  but  occasionally  we  find  GGHI  (GY)  as  in  Vulgar 
Florentine  (San  Frediano). 

MEGLIO,  MEGGHIO;   SVEGLIA,   SVEGGHIA. 

OU  is  aspirated  like  C  before  A,  O,  and  U  and  may  even 
became  H.     (KW>KHW,  HW,  H). 

QHUANTITA.  HUANTITA,  HANTITA;  QHUELLO, 
HUELLO,  HELLO;  CONQHUISTA,  CONHUISTA, 
CONHISTA. 

-ARIUM  occasionally  becomes  -AGLIO.  This  is  also  true 
in  the  Montagna  Lucchese. 

MACELL AGLIO  (macellarium)  ;  ACQUAGLIO  (aquar- 
ium) ;   ACCIAGLIO    (aciarium). 

T  intervocalic  is  occasionally  aspirated  (TH),  though  this 
is  not  usually  shown  in  the  writing. 

Italian  V  intervocalic,  whatever  be  its  source,  often  dis- 
appears as  in  the  neighboring  dialects. 

POERO  (pauperum);  DEtJTO.  DOVlJTO ;  AtJTO 
(habutum);  Afi(RE).  AVE(RE). 

One  of  the  most  marked  peculiarities  of  the  Pistojese  is 
the  careful  open  pronunciation  of  final  unaccented  A.  In 
Pistojese,  as  in  most  of  the  other  Tuscan  dialects  a  final  ac- 
cented vowel  may  develop  an  indistinct  vowel  sound  follow- 
ing it.  Then,  especially  after  close  E,  a  Y  glide  may  develop 
between  the  two  vocalic  elements. 

PUOE,  puo;  FAE.  fa;  MfiJE,  me;  TEJE,  te. 

Porretta  is  no  longer  Tuscan,  but  Gallo-Italian  in  its  speech, 
while  Montale  Pistojese  shows  traces  of  Florentine  influence. 

II.  Florentine. 

Adjacent  to  the  Pistojese  on  the  East  and  South  is  the 
Florentine.  The  differences  between  these  two  dialects  are 
very  marked.     The  most  noticeable  are : 

i)  The  harsh  velar  pronunciation  of  C  (ft)  before  A,  O, 
and  U  which  is  to  be  heard  in  Florence,  Vicchio,  Palazzuolo, 
and  Certaldo.  It  is  noticeably  different  from  the  softer  as- 
piration f  II)  of  the  Pistojese,  Siennese,  and  Pisan. 


CENTRAL  ITALIAN  DIALECTS  ig 

2)  LY  intervocalic  regularly  becomes  GGHI  (GY)  instead 
of  GLI  (L). 

MEGGHIO,  meglio;  SVEGGHIA,  sveglia. 

Note.)  This  change  is  noticed  at  Montale  and  takes  place 
in  Vicchio,  Palazzuolo,  and  Certaldo.  (Marradi  and  Rocca 
San  Casciano  are  in  Gallo-Italian  territory  and  present  GI  (G)  ; 
MEGIO).  It  also  occurs  in  Arettine,  being  common  in  Arezzo, 
Cortona,  Castiglione  Fiorentino.  Citta  di  Castello,  San  Sepol- 
cro,  and  as  far  as  Sant'Agata  Feltria  and  Urbania  Alarchigiana. 
In  Luccan  territory  it  occurs  in  Massa  Lunigiana  and  Mon- 
tignoso.  In  Florence  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  quarters  sur- 
rounding the  Mercato  San  Frediano. 

3)  T  intervocalic  is  strongly  aspirated  in  Florence,  Vicchio, 
and  Certaldo,  and  is  sometimes  pronounced  as  English  TH 
(in  thin),  sometimes  as  H. 

ARRI(V)A(T)HA;  DA(T)HO;  ANDA(T)HO. 

III.    SlENNESE. 

Siennese  presents  few  differences  from  the  Pistojese,  but 
is  quite  different  from  the  vulgar  Florentine. 

1 )  C  before  A,  O,  and  U  is  pronounced  as  English  H  or 
disappears. 

(H)ASA,  casa;  (H)OME,  come;  (H)URA(RE),  curare. 

2)  G  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains  without  aspiration. 
PAGA(RE)  ;  AGO. 

3)  LY  intervocalic  becomes  GLI  (L). 
MEGLIO;  SVEGLIA. 

4)  QU  is  aspirated  and  may  become  HU.  (KW,  KHW, 
HW). 

(Q)HUANTITA;  (Q)HUELLO. 

5)  -ARIUM  becomes  -AIO  as  in  Florentine. 

6)T  intervocalic  may  only  be  slightly  aspirated  (TH). 

7)  Italian  V  intervocalic  often  disappears  as  in  Florentine 
and  Pistojese. 


\ 


\ 


20  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

POERINO,  poverino;  AtJTO,  avuto;  DEtJTO,  DOlJTO, 
dovuto. 

8)  Diminutives  in  -INO  are  especially  frequent. 

DIO  (H)ANINO,  cf.  Florentine  DIO  HANK,  Dio  cane. 

IV.  Arettine. 

i)  C  before  A,  O,  and  U  is  not  usually  aspirated,  but  fre- 
quently becomes  a  weak  G. 

GASA,  casa;  DIGO,  dico;  POGO,  poco;  MIGA,  mica. 

2)  G  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains. 
PAGA(RE);  AGO. 

3)  LY  intervocalic  usually  becomes  GGHI  (GY)  as  in 
Vulgar  Florentine.     See  above. 

4)  QU  may  become  GU. 
GUANTITA,  quantita ;  GUELLO,  quello. 

5)  -ARIUM  becomes  -AIO  as  in  Florentine  and  Siennese. 

6)  Intervocalic  T  remains  without  aspiration.  In  the 
Northern  and  Northeastern  part  of  the  Arettine  territory  we 
frequently  find  D. 

DISPERfiTA,  DISPERfiDA,  DISPERATA. 

7)  Italian  V  intervocalic  often  disappears  as  in  Florentine, 
Pistojese.  and  Siennese. 

POERO,  povero;  AUTO,  avuto;  A(V)fi(RE). 

8)  An  A-  is  often  developed  before  initial  R.  This  ten- 
dency is  to  be  found  also  in  the  Roman  group  of  dialects  and 
East  of  a  line  running  from  near  Corneto  between  San 
Lorenzo  Nuovo  and  Orvieto,  East  of  Acquapendente,  Santa 
Flora,  and  Arcidosso,  West  of  Chiusi,  Cortona,  Castiglione 
Fiorentino  and  Palazzuolo,  but  East  of  Vicchio. 

AR(I)TORNA(RE);  AR(I)VEDE(RE). 

9)  Tonic  free  A  shows  a  tendency  to  become  M,  fe. 
GRfiZIA,  grazia;  AREGN^VA,  regnava;  DISPERfiTA, 

disperata. 


CENTRAL  ITALIAN  DIALECTS 


21 


10)  Tonic  open  E  shows  a  tendency  to  become  IE  when  the 
final  syllable  contained  an  I  or  O  (U)  element. 

PIERDO,  perdo;  VIENGO,  vengo;  CIERTO,  CERTA, 
CIERTI,  CERTE. 

11 )  Latin  IN-  before  a  consonant  becomes  AN-  and  IM- 
becomes  AM-  under  the  same  circumstances. 

ANGIURIANDO,  ingiuriando;  ANSEGNfiTE,  insegnate; 
AMPAR^RE,  imparare. 

12)  In  Cortona  (upper  town)  we  notice  a  tendency  to 
affix  -NE  to  words  ending  in  an  accented  vowel.  This  ter- 
mination is  common  in  a  large  part  of  the  Roman  territory. 
In  Arezzo  we  find  -E,  -JE  as  in  Florentine  and  Pistojese. 

( Cortona)  R£NE,  re ;  "PUONE,  puo ;  MfiNE,  me ;  TfiNE,  te. 
(Arezzo,  &c.)  REJE;  PUOE;  MfiJE;  TfiJE. 

V,  Perugian. 

i)  C  before  A.  O,  and  U  is  sometimes  pronounced  as  G. 
CASA,  GASA;  DICO,  DIGO;  POCO,  POGO;  FORCA, 
FORGA. 

2)  LY  intervocalic  becomes  GLI  (L)  or  J  (Y),  seldom 
GGHI. 

MEGLIO,  MEJO ;  SVEGLIA,  SVEJA. 

3)  QU  occasionally  becomes  GU. 

QUANDO,  GUANDO;  QUANTITA,  GUANTITA. 

4)  -ARIUM  becomes  -AIO  as  in  Florentine,  but  occasion- 
ally -ARO. 

MACELLAIO,  MACELLARO ;  FORNAIO,  FORNARO. 

5)  Intervocalic  T  remains. 
PARLATO;  FINITO. 

6)  Italian  V  intervocalic,  whatever  its  source,  may  disappear. 
POERO,  povero ;  AtFTO,  avuto. 

7)  Perugian  ARI-  initial  (from  Latin  RE-)  becomes  AR-. 
ARTORNA(RE),  ritornare;  ARVEDE(RE),  rivedere. 


22 


THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 


8)  Tonic  free  A  remains. 
GRAZIA;  DISPERATA ;  ANDATA. 

9)  Open  E  usually  becomes  IE,  open  O  becomes  UO,  close 
E  often  becomes  I,  and  close  O  often  becomes  U  under  the 
accent  if  the  following  final  syllable  presents  an  I  or  O  (U). 

PRIEGO,  prego;  TIEMPO,  tempo;  VIENGO,  vengo; 
CIERTO,  CERTA. 

CUORO,  coro ;  CORE,  cuore. 
QUISTO,  QUESTA. 
UGNI.  ogni. 

10)  Latin  IN-.  IM-  remain  before  consonants. 

VI.   LUCCAN. 

Luccan  presents  the  following  characteristics. 

i)  C  before  A,  O,  and  U  is  changed  into  a  sound  resembling 
English  H  or  disappears. 

(H)ASA,  casa;  (H)OME,  come;  (H)URA(RE),  curare. 
Note.)     We  also  find  CHASA;  CHOME;  CRURA  (RE). 

2A)  Latin  CY,  TY  become  SS,  SSI,  SI. 
SCORSA,  scorza;  TERRASSO,  terazzo;  PIASSA,  piazza; 
FORSA,  forza  ;  CONDISIONE,  condizione  ;  GRASIA,  grazia. 

2B)  Latin  DY  becomes  §§  or  2.2.. 

MESSO,  ME220 ;  RASSO,  raggio ;  MERRI220,  meriggio. 
Note.)     In  SCORSA,   FORSA  we  see  the   SS  simplified 
after  a  consonant. 

3)  Latin  LY  usually  results  in  GLI  (L)  but  in  some  parts 
of  the  Montagna  Lucchese  we  find  J(Y).  In  Massa  and  Mon- 
tignoso  we  find  GGHI,  and  in  Carrara  GI. 

(Montagna  Lucchese)  FOGLIO,  FOJO;  MEGLIO,  MEJO. 
(Lucca)  FOGLIO;  ^^lEGLIO. 

( Massa,  Montignoso)  FOGGHIO  ;  MEGGHIO,MEGHDIO. 
(Carrara.  &c.)  FOGIO,  MEGIO. 

4)  N  or  NN  may  become  ND,  M  or  MM  may  become  MB. 


CENTRAL  ITALIAN  DL4LECTS  23 

INDATO,  innato ;  COOMBERO,  cocomero ;  STOMBAGO, 
stomago. 

5)  Italian  OU  becomes  HU  or  U. 
(H)UARANTA;   (H)UANTITA;   (H)UELLO. 
Note.)     Occasionally  we  hear  QHUARANTA;  OHUAN- 

TITA,  &c. 

6)  -ARIUM  becomes  -AIO  or  -AGLIO. 
CARBONAIO,  CARBONAGLIO;  ACQUAIO,  ACQUA- 

GLIO. 

Note.)     Analogously  we  have  -OIO,  -OGLIO. 
CUOIO,  CUOGLIO. 

7)  Italian  V  intervocalic  often  falls. 

POERO,  povero ;  RICEtJTO,  ricevuto ;  ALTROE,  altrove. 

8)  Initial  V  and  B  are  often  confused  and  occasionally  in- 
tervocalic P  becomes  F. 

BAFORE,  vapore;  VIENGO,  BIENGO.^ 

9)  In  the  Apuan  Alps  and  along  the  coast  impure  S  is 
palatalized. 

gPIA;  STIA;  SPESSO. 

VII.    PiSAN. 

The  dialect  of  Pisa  much  resembles  that  of  Lucca.  There 
are  the  following  peculiarities  to  note. 

i)  C  initial  before  A,  O,  and  U  occasionally  disappears,  but 
usually  becomes  a  weak  H. 

(H)ANE,  cane;  (H)OME,  come;  (H)OSL  cosi. 

Note.)  CHANE;  CHOME;  CHOSl  are  also  occasionally 
heard. 

2)  C  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  frequently  drops. 
ANTIO,  antico;  DI(H)0,  dico. 

3)  LY  intervocalic  becomes  GLI  (L). 
MEGLIO;  SVEGLIA. 

1  The  diphthongs  of  VIENGO,  PIERDO  are  analogical  in  Luccan, 
cf.  vieni,  tieni. 


24 


THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 


4)  Initial  QU  of  the  literary  language  becomes  V  except 
after  a  word  which  may  cause  its  pronunciation  to  be 
reinforced. 

\'ANTITA,  quantita;  VESTA,  questa;  VELLO,  quello; 
but  A  QUARCHUNO,  a  qualcuno. 

5)  -ARIUM  becomes  -AIO. 
CARBONAIO ;  FORNAIO. 

6)  Italian  V  intervocalic  often  falls. 
POERO,  povero;  BEtJTO,  bevuto. 

7)  Initial  V  is  often  confused  with  B,  and  occasionally  inter- 
vocalic P  with  F. 

BAFORE,  vapore ;  REFUBBRICA,  repubblica. 

8A)  SS  occurs  instead  of  literary  ZZ.  and  S  instead  of 
literary  Z,  from  Latin  CY,  TY  (as  in  Luccan). 

TERRASSO,  terrazzo;  PIASSA.  piazza;  SCORSA, 
scorza. 

8B)  §S  appears  instead  of  literary  GG  and  S  instead  of 
G  (as  in  Luccan). 

RASSO.  raggio;  RASIONE,  ragione. 

9)  NGE,  NGI  do  not  become  GN. 
PIANGE;  MANGIA(RE). 

VIIL    LiVORNESE. 

Livornese  has  been  subject  to  many  foreign  influences,  es- 
pecially Venetian,  Genoese,  and  Neapolitan.  Its  vocabulary 
contains  a  great  number  of  borrowed  words.  Its  most  strik- 
ing phonological  peculiarities  are : 

i)  Italian  S  anteconsonantal  appears  in  Livornese  as  L  or 
LS  (L§)  (-|- a  consonant). 

LPASSO,  spasso;  LTAGIONE,  stagione;  LBAGLIO, 
sbaglio ;  VELTO,  VELSTO,  questo. 

This  development  is  difficult  to  explain.  As  S  impure  was 
palatalized  in  Neapolitan,  Genoese,  and  along  the  Ligurian  and 
the  Northern  part  of  the  Tuscan  coast  we  may  suppose  that 


CENTRAL  ITALIAN  DIALECTS 


25 


that  was  the  first  step.  Then  the  palatal  §  may  have  become 
semi-vocalized.  See  Papanti,  p.  247  for  a  description  of  the 
resultant  sound. 

2)  C  before  A,  O,  and  U  may  disappear  or  be  retained  as  a 
weak  aspirate  as  in  Pisan. 

(H)ASA,  casa;  (H)ANE,  cane;  DI(H)0,  dico. 

3)  LY  becomes  GLI  (L)  as  in  Pisan. 
MEGLIO ;  LVEGLIA,  sveglia. 

4)  OU  initial  appears  as  V  except  after  words  which  cause 
a  doubled  or  reinforced  pronunciation. 

VELLA ;  VANDO ;  but  A  QUELLA ;  A  QUANDO. 

5)  -ARIUM  becomes  -AIO. 
FORNAIO. 

6)  Italian  intervocalic  V  often  disappears. 
POERO,  povero ;  AtJTO,  avuto. 

7)  Initial   B  and  V  are  often  confused,   and   occasionally 
intervocalic  P  and  F  as  in  Pisan. 

BAFORE,  vapore;  REFUBBRICA,  repubblica. 

8)  Z,  ZZ  (TS,  TTS)  appear  instead  of  Pisan  S,  SS  (from 
Latin  CY,  TY,  DY). 

GIULTIZIA,  giustizia ;  RAZIONE,  orazione ;  PIAZZA. 

•9)  NGE,  NGI  do  not  become  GN  (NY). 
PIANGE;  MANGIA. 

10)   Final  unaccented  E  (especially  in  polysyllables)  often 
appears  as  I. 

ER  CASSIERI,  il  cassiere;  ER  POMPIERI,  il  pompiere. 

The  Roman  Group  of  Dialects. 

The  Roman  group  of  dialects  presents  the  following  pecu- 
liarities. 

i)  ND  becomes  NN  (as  in  Abruzzese  and  Neapolitan). 
PARLANNO,  parlando;  MONNO,  mondo. 


26  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

2)  LD  becomes  LL  (as  in  Abruzzese). 

CALLO,  caldo;  ARISCALLA(RE),  riscaldare;  FALLA, 
falda. 

3)  MB  becomes  MM  (as  in  Abruzzese  and  Neapolitan). 
PIOMMO,  piombo ;  GAMMA,  gamba. 

4)  Accented  open  E  and  O  show  a  tendency  towards  diph- 
thongization  (IE  and  UO)  especially  when  the  vowel  of  the 
final  syllable  was  I  or  O  (U). 

TIEMPO;  VIENGO;  UOCCHIO;  STUORTO,  but 
STORTA. 

The  Roman  territory  is  less  cut  up  by  mountain  ranges  and 
other  linguistic  barriers  than  is  the  Tuscan.  Politically  also 
it  has  been  less  divided,  as  papal  influence  always  dominated 
here.  Therefore  it  does  not  present  as  many  dialectic  varia- 
tions.    It  may  be  roughly  divided  into  five  parts. 

I.  ORBITELLANO. 

II.  ROMANO  (Roman). 

III.  TERNANO. 

IV.  NETTUNESE. 

V.  ANCONITANO. 

I.  Orbitellano. 

Orbitellano  differs  from  the  other  Roman  dialects  in  the 
following  points : 

i)  Latin  LY  becomes  GLI  (L)  instead  of  J  (Y)  as  in  Rome. 
MEGLIO;  SVEGLIA. 

2)  Initial  RI-  remains  without  developing  a  prefixed  A-. 
RITUORNO;  RISPONNE(RE),  rispondere. 

3)  The  termination  added  to  monosyllables  ending  in  an  ac- 
cented vowel  is  often  -E,  -JE,  instead  of  -NE. 

PUCE,  puo;  R£JE,  re;  T£JE,  te. 


CENTRAL  ITALIAN  DIALECTS  27 

11.  Romano. 

The  dialects  of  the  Abruzzi  encroach  upon  the  Roman  terri- 
tory to  the  East,  the  linguistic  barrier  being  the  first  range  of 
the  Sabine  Hills.  Thus  Arsoli,  Fara  in  Sabina,  and  Rieti  are 
Abruzzese  rather  than  Central  Italian  in  their  speech.  These 
localities  present  regular  diphthongization  of  accented  open  E 
and  O  under  the  influence  of  an  I  or  O  (U)  in  the  final  syllable' 
and  a  closing  of  close  E  to  I  and  close  O  to  U  (rarely  A  to  E) 
under  the  same  conditions.  S  anteconsonantal,  especially  when 
initial,  is  somewhat  palatalized :  G  initial  before  E  and  I  be- 
comes J  (Y)  ;  J  initial  remains  as  J  ( Y)  ;  D  initial  may  be 
dropped  (especially  before  I)  or  become  a  voiced  dental 
spirant,  or  R;  and  Latin  LY  becomes  GLI  (L).  These  char- 
acteristics are  common  to  Neapolitan  and  Abruzzese. 

TIEMPO  ;  STELLA ;  UOVO,  OVA  ;  CHISTO,  CHESTA ; 
(I)NNU§TRIUSO,  (I)NNUSTRIOSA;  SPIA  ;  JENTILE; 
JUSTIZIA;  ICE(RE),  RICE(RE),  dire;  MEGLIO. 

In  Rome  itself  the  following  points  are  to  be  noted. 

i)  Latin  LY  becomes  J(Y). 

MEJO,  meglio ;  SVEJA  (exvigilia),  sveglia. 

2)  Initial  RI-  develops  a  prefixed  A-  and  often  loses  its  I, 
becoming  AR-  (as  in  Arettine,  Perugian,  and  Abruzzese). 

AR(I)TUORNO,  ritorno;  AR(I)SPONNE(RE),  ris- 
pondere. 

3)  Initial  R-  often  develops  a  prefixed  A-. 
ARENNE(RE),  rendere;  ARRfi",  ARRfiNE,  re. 

4)  The  termination  often  added  to  words  ending  in  an 
accented  vowel  is  -NE. 

PUONE,  puo;  T£NE,  te;  M£NE^  me. 

5)  Intervocalic  C  before  A,  O,  and  U  is  often  confused 
with  G  (as  in  Arezzo  and  parts  of  the  Abruzzi,  also  in  Nea- 
politan and  Perugian). 

MIGA,  MICA;  POGO,  POCO;  DIGO,  DICO. 


28  TtlE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

Note.)  The  Roman  dialect,  with  few  variations,  is  spoken 
in  the  Roman  Campagna,  Viterbo,  Orvieto,  and  Assisi. 

III.  Ternano. 

Ternano  is  spoken  in  Terni,  Todi,  Foligno,  and  the  country 
immediately  surrounding.  This  dialect  differs  from  the  Roman 
principally  in  that  Latin  initial  G  before  E  and  I  becomes  J 
(Y)  instead  of  GI,  G,  (G),  and  Latin  J  initial  remains  as 
J  (Y)  instead  of  becoming  GL  G  (G). 

JENTILE,  gentile ;  JENTE,  gente ;  JUSTIZIA,  giustizia. 

Rieti,  as  has  already  been  noted,  is  Abruzzese  in  its  speech. 

The  dialect  of  Norcia  often  drops  D  initial,  as  does  Reatino, 
but  in  other  respects  closely  resembles  the  Ternano. 

(D)ICO;  (D)UE. 

In  Terni  and  Norcia  S  impure  is  somewhat  palatalized  (es- 
pecially before  T,  P,  and  F),  but  not  in  Todi. 

IV.  Nettunese. 

Nettunese  is  spoken  South  of  the  Alban  Hills.  It  is  on  the 
border  between  the  Roman  and  Neapolitan  territory  and  there- 
fore may  be  expected  to  show  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  each. 

In  Nettuno,  Alatri,  San  Vito,  and  Guarcino  open  E  usually 
develops  into  closed  E  (instead  of  remaining  or  diphthongiz- 
ing into  IE)  when  the  vowel  of  the  final  syllable  is  I  or  O  (U). 

MfiDECO,  medico;  PfiDE,  PfiDI ;  D£NTE,  DENTI. 

Close  E  usually  becomes  I  when  the  vowel  of  the  final 
syllable  is  I  or  O  (U). 

ISSO,  ESSA;  PJENA,  PJINO;  CHISTO,  CHEST  A, 
CHISTI,  CHESTE. 

Open  O  usually  becomes  closed  (instead  of  remaining  or 
diphthongizing  into  UO)  when  the  vowel  of  the  final  Latin 
syllable  is  I  or  O  (U). 

BONO,  BONA,  BONI,  BONE;  CORE,  CORE 

Close  O  usually  becomes  U  when  the  vowel  of  the  final 
syllable  is  I  or  O  (U). 

CURIUSO,  CURIOSA;  SULO,  SOLA,  SULI,  SOLE. 


CENTRAL  ITALIAN  DIALECTS 


29 


OU  initial  often  becomes  CH  (K)  before  E  and  I. 

CHISTO,  questo ;  CHILLO,  quelle. 

Latin  LY  becomes  GLI  (L),  as  in  Neapolitan  and  Literary 
Italian,  instead  of  J   (Y)  as  in  Roman. 

MEGLIO;  SVEGLIA. 

In  Alatri  and  Frosinone,  sometimes  in  Nettuno,  we  find 
J  initial  instead  of  Literary  Italian  G,  GI,  from  Latin  G  before 
E  or  I  or  from  Latin  J. 

JENTILE ;  JENTE,  gente ;  JUSTO,  giiisto. 

Arpino  is  Neapolitan  rather  than  Central  Italian  in  speech 
and  Anagni  is  Roman  rather  than  Nettunese. 

V.  Anconitano. 

The  March  of  Ancona  has  no  one  dialect.  It  is  much  cut 
up  linguistically ;  nevertheless  the  divergences  are  scarcely  suf- 
ficient to  make  it  necessary  to  treat  of  the  dialects  of  this  small 
territory  under  more  than  one  heading  in  such  a  brief  study  as 
this. 

The  dialects  of  Ancona  and  Falconara  differ  from  those  of 
the  rest  of  the  March  and  from  the  Roman  dialects  in  general 
in  that  they  retain  ND,  LD,  and  MB. 

(Ancona.  Falconara)  ANDA(RE)  ;  CALDO ;  PIOMBO. 

(Osimo,  Jesi,  Arcevia,  Fabriano,  Rome,  etc.)  ANNA(RE)  ; 
CALLO ;  PIOMMO. 

The  dialects  of  Osimo,  Jesi,  Arcevia,  and  Fabriano  palatalize 
S  impure  (especially  before  T  and  P). 

§TA(RE);  gPIA;  AR(I)§PONNE(RE). 

In  Arcevia,  Fabriano,  and  Loreto  we  find  initial  J  instead  of 
Italian  G,  GI,  from  Latin  G  before  E  and  I  or  Latin  J. 

JENTE,  gente ;  JENTILE,  gentile ;  JUSTO,  giusto. 


CHAPTER  11.' 

Abruzzese  Dialects. 

Note.)  Under  this  heading  it  seems  advisable  to  treat  of 
the  dialects  of  the  Marches  of  Macerata  and  Ascoli  and  the 
provinces  of  Terra  di  Lavoro  and  Molise,  with  occasional  ref- 
erences to  Neapolitan,  as  well  as  the  dialects  of  the  three 
Abruzzi. 

Tonic  Vowels. 

Note.)  In  the  provinces  of  Teramo,  Chieti,  and  Molise 
an  initial  tonic  vowel  is  usually  re-enforced  either  by  an  aspir- 
ation (H)  or  a  J  (Y)  sound. 

(Ten,  Ch.)  HAN£M£,  anima;  H6M£.  uomo ;  JI.  hai. 

(Atessa)  HAN£M£,  anima;  HOM£,  uomo;  HAJJ,  hai. 

(Campobasso)  JAN£Mii,  anima;  J0M£.  uomo;  JOTTE, 
otto. 

This  also  frequently  occurs  when  the  initial  syllable  does 
not  bear  the  primary  accent. 

JARRUBIVE,  JARRUBIH£.  rubai;  ARRtJB£,  JAR- 
RtJB£,  rubo. 

A. 

I.  Tonic  A  free  or  checked  remains : 

I.)  When  the  final  unaccented  Latin  vowel  was  A. 

MMASCIAT/^,  MMASCIATz/,  ambasciata;  DESPERAT.4, 
DESPERATE,  disperata;  CAFA,  CAFE,  capa:  NSULTAT^, 
NSULTATE,  insultata. 

1  Open  E  and  O  are  indicated  by  the  grave  accent  (  ^).  close  E  and 
O  by  the  acute  (')•  Where  no  accent  is  shown  the  pronunciation  of 
the  accented  vowel  has  been  noted  to  vary  between  open  and  close. 
Close  A  is  indicated  by  the  grave  accent  (A).  Palatal  S  is  shown  by 
S.  Indistinct  vowels  are  shown  as  A,  E,  I,  0,  U. 
30 


ABRUZZESE 


31 


Note  1.)  Bucchianico  and  Pratola  show  both  M  (£)  and 
A  in  the  feminine  of  adjectives  (the  form  with  E  coming  from 
analogy  with  the  masculine),  but  only  A  in  the  first  and  third 
persons  of  the  Imperfect  Indicative. 

GNURI^T£,  GNURI£T£,  GNURIAT£.  ingiuriata; 
NSULT£T£,  NSULTAT^.  insultata;  but  CACCIAV£, 
CACCIAV.4,  cacciava. 

Note  2.)  Under  the  influence  of  a  palatal  immediately  pre- 
ceding we  have  in  Campobasso  Fl£S04,  fiascone;  CHI£ZZ/i, 
piazza;  CHIEJ^4  (Neap,  chiaja)  ;  in  the  Abruzzo  of  Chieti 
Yl^ZZA,  piazza,  by  the  side  of  PROZZE.  piazza. 

Note  3.)  Under  the  influence  of  a  palatal  immediately 
following  we  note  the  forms  £CQU£,  H£CQU£  as  co- 
existent with  ACQU-E,  HACQUE,  acqua,  in  the  Abruzzo  of 
Chieti. 

Alatri  shows  CASTEGN/^,  castagna,  and  MERC/4,  marca. 

Note  4).  Finamore  also  notes  for  Chieti  examples  show- 
ing 0. 

JOV£T£,  gavita;  SPOLL^,  spalda;  YLoMMA,  gamba. 

Note  5.)  -ARIA  becomes  -ARA.  -ARE;  and  -ARIU  be- 
comes -ARO,  -ARE. 

JENNARO,  JENNARE,  gennaio;  CALLAR^,  CALLARE, 
caldaia. 

Note  5A.)  PER  ARIA  gives  Ch.  PEDIeR£J£,  Ten 
PELL'IR£J£,  Neap.  PER  ARIA,  the  noun  ARIA,  even  in  a 
closely  connected  adverbial  phrase,  showing  a  very  difl:erent 
development  from  the  suffix. 

Note  5B.)  -ARIA  and  -ARIU  sometimes  give  -filR^, 
-£R£  and  -ERO,  -ER£  by  analogy  of  confusion  with  -ERIA, 
-ERIU.  Note  that  the  same  thing  happens  in  Italian. 
CAMBRI£Rv4,  CAMBRIER£,  cameriera,  cameriere.) 

Note  6.)  STfiJJ^.  stava,  and  D£JJ^,  dava,  (Campo- 
basso) and  §T£V.-J  and  D£V/^  (Naples  and  Terra  di  Lavoro) 
are  probably  analogical.  The  forms  in  Chieti  and  Teramo  are 
STAT£V£  and  D£SS£. 

Note  7.)  MALUM,  porno,  becomes  MliLA.  This  change 
is  also  Tuscan. 


32 


THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 


2.)  when  becoming  final  by  the  dropping  of  the  final  Latin 
syllable. 

BELTA;  MAJfiSTA;  AMA(RE);  SUPPORTA(RE) ; 
CACCIA(RE). 

Note.)     In  Bucchianico  we  note  a  tendency  toward  /E,  £. 

CIRCHfi(RE),  cercare;  ARRIGLAR£(RE),  arreglare. 

II.  Tonic  A  free  or  checked  remains  in  the  provinces  of 
Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Ascoli,  and  Macerata 
but  often  becomes  7E  and  even  £  in  the  Abruzzi  of  Teramo 
and  Chieti  when  the  final  unaccented  Latin  vowel  was  E  or 
O  (U). 

PANE  (Ch.,  Ter.  P^N£)  ;  CARN£  (Ch.,  Ter.  CMRNE). 

PATR£  (Ch.,  Ter.  PfiTR£)  ;  QUANNO  (Ch.,  Ter. 
QUENNE);  MALO  (Ch.,  Ter.  M7ELE,  M£L£),  malo. 

Note  I.)     This  change  is  most  noticeable  in  open  syllables. 

Note  2.)  This  change  is  by  no  means  regular  as  Finamore 
quotes  for  Chieti  and  Teramo  PATR£,  PUATRE,  PfiATRE, 
P£TR£,  P0TR£,  and  even  POTR£. 

Note  3.)  Atessa,  Palena,  Villa  Santa  Maria,  and  Vasto 
usually  retain  the  A,  though  somewhat  closed,  Pratola  shows 
a  tendency  towards  ^,  £. 

III.  Tonic  A  free  or  checked  remains  in  the  provinces  of 
Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Ascoli,  and  Macerata 
when  the  final  unaccented  Latin  vowel  was  I.  In  Teramo  it 
becomes  I  under  these  conditions.  In  Chieti  it  becomes  I 
when  free  in  paroxytones,  l£  when  checked  in  paroxytones 
and  either  free  or  checked  in  proparoxytones. 

(Ascoli)  DESPERAT/,  disperati;  SCILLIRAT/,  scellerati. 
(Bucchianico)     DE§PERIT£,    disperati;    SCILLARITE, 
scellerati. 

Examples  of  Changes. 

Paroxytones:  Both  Chieti  and  Teramo  have  FRiTii,  frati; 
SULDIT£,  soldati ;  MINE,  mani ;  but  in  position  we  find  Ch. 
CUMBIfiGNE,  Ter.  CUMBIGNE,  compagni;  Ch.  SI£ND£, 
Ter.  S1ND£,  santi;  Ch.  CHI£ND£,  Ter.  QUINDE,  quanti; 


ABRUZZESE  33 

Ch.  PIfiSS£,  Ter.  PISS£,,  passi ;  Ch.  FIfiTTE,  Ter.  FtTT£, 
fatti,  etc. 

Proparoxytones :  Ch.  I^SENE,  Ter.  IS£Nii,  asini;  Ch. 
MERI£C[/L£,  Ter.  MERtCL^L£,  miracoH;  Ch.  DIJ^VULE, 
Ter.  DIJtVULE,  diavoli;  Ch.  JIfiNG£L£,  Ter.  JING£L£, 
angeli ;  Ch.  Pl£SS£R£,  Ter.  PISS£R£,  passeri. 

Note  I.)  The  history  of  ALTERI  (v.  De  Lollis)  is  in- 
teresting.     (Arch.  Glott.  xii). 

Ch.  (  AVETRI  jmV£TR£ 

Lat.  ALTERI  AULTRI  AVTRI  J  (Ch.  citta)  JIV£TR£ 

Ter.  (  ADDRI  JIDDR£ 

Note  also  Ch.  J^YETE,  Ter.  JIDD£,  alti. 

Note  2.)  In  the  conjugations  of  verbs  this  change  is  much 
more  widespread  and  Parodi  finds  it  in  the  dialect  of  Arpino 
where  IE  appears  in  the  Present  Indicative  and  I  in  the 
Imperfect  and  Preterite. 

Note  3.)  Atessa,  Vasto,  Canosa,  Palena,  and  Citta 
Sant'Angelo  show  A,  7E. 


(Close). 

I.  Tonic  close  E  remains  in  the  provinces  of  Naples,  Terra 
di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Macerata,  and  Ascoli  when  the 
final  Latin  vowel  was  not  I  or  O  (U). 

F&MMENA  ;  CANNfiL/^,  candela ;  R£N/i,  arena ;  L£GG£ ; 
PUTfiC^,  bottega. 

Note  I.)     In  Molise  we  often  find  £I  in  an  open  penult. 
R£IT^,  rete;  S£R/i,  SfilR^. 

II.  Tonic  close  E  usually  becomes  I  in  the  provinces  of 
Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Macerata,  and  Ascoli 
when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  I  or  O  (U). 

(Sing.)  PAfiSE,  (Plu.)  PAIS/,  RAISE;  (Masc.)  tSSO, 
tSSE,  (Fern.)  £SS^,  £SS£;  (Masc.  Sing.)  CHJINO, 
CHJINE,  (Fern.  Sing.)  CHj£N/i,  CHJ£N£,  (Masc.  Plu.) 
CHJIN/,  CHJINE.  (Fern.  Plu.)  CHJENE. 


34  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

Note  I.)  This  tendency  extends  in  some  places  well  into 
Central  Italian  territory,  being  noted  as  far  as  Ancona,  Sini- 
gallia,  Arcevia,  Cupramontana,  Fabriano,  Costacciaro,  Perugia, 
Assisi,  Todi,  Terni,  Rieti.  Poggio  Moiano,  Palombara,  San 
\''ito  Romano,  Palestrina,  Zagarolo,  Albano,  and  Nettuno. 

ISSO,  esso;  CHtLLO,  quello;  CHIGL/,  quegli ;  CHISTO, 
questo ;  ISS/.  essi ;  etc. 

Note  2.)  This  tendency  is  most  marked  when  the  vowel  of 
the  final  Latin  syllable  was  I,  e.  g.,  in  the  plurals,  and  in  the 
second  person  singular  of  the  conjugations.  However  it  may 
occur  even  where  the  word  to-day  ends  in  -A  having  under- 
gone a  change  in  gender. 

(Campobasso)  CtTA,  aceto. 

Note  3.)     Important  exceptions  are  VELfiNO  and  VeRO. 

III.  Tonic  close  E  develops  in  Chietino  and  Teramano  like 
open  E.     See  below. 

Open  E. 

I.  Tonic  open  E  free  or  checked  usually  remains  in  the 
provinces  of  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Ascoli, 
and  Macerata  except  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  I  or 
O  (U). 

FRtYA,  febbre;  NfiV£;  PReT.^,  pietra. 
Note  I.)     In  Molise  close  E  frequently  appears. 
FtLE,  fiele  ;  PtDE,  piede ;  PRfiT^i,  pietra. 

II.  Tonic  open  E  usually  becomes  IE  in  the  provinces  of 
Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise.  Aquila,  Ascoli,  and  Macerata 
when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  I  or  O  (U). 

MIED£CO,  MIED£CH£,  MIERECO,  MIER£CH£, 
medico;  TIEMPO.  TIEMPE,  TIEMB£,  tempo;  VIECCHIO, 
VIECCHI£,  (Fem.  VECCUIA),  vecchio;  CURTIELLO, 
CURTIEJO,  coltello;  PIED/  (Sing.  PeDE)  ;  MIEJO, 
meglio  ;  PIEJO,  peggio  ;  etc. 

Note  I.)  Diphthongization  is  not  regular  in  the  first  person 
singular  of  the  Present  Indicative,  but  occurs  in  some  of  the 
most  commonly  used  verbs. 


ABRUZZESE  3^ 

A(R)RePO,  tu  A(R)RIEP£,  apro,  tu  apn ;  but  TIENGO, 
tengo;  VIENGO,  vengo;  etc. 

Note  2.)  This  tendency  towards  IE  extends  well  into 
Central  Italian  territory,  being  noted  as  far  as  Fabriano, 
Perugia,  Todi,  Orvieto.  Montefiascone,  Arpino,  and  occasion- 
ally at  Rome.  It  is  however  rare  in  Alatri,  San  Vito  Romano, 
Guarcino,  and  Nettuno  where  Close  E  appears  instead  of  the 
diphthong. 

(Alatri)  MED£CO;  PfiD/,  piedi;  DfiNT/. 

Note  3.)     We  sometimes  find  both  forms  side  by  side. 

MED£CO,  MIED£CO. 

Note  4.)  Latin  EU  becoming  final  becomes  IE,  and  EA 
becomes  ^]A,  ^]JA  under  the  same  conditions. 

MIE  (meum)  ;  MtJA,  MEJJ^  (meam). 

III.  Tonic  open  or  close  E  becomes  ^  in  Chietino  and 
Teramano  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  A,  E,  or  O  (U). 
De  Lollis  states  that  this  sound  is  more  open  when  the  final 
vowel  was  A  than  when  it  was  E  or  O  (U).  He  also  dis- 
tinguishes between  Chietino  Al  (AI)  (in  open  syllables), 
A  (^)   (in  closed  syllables),  and  Teramano  A  (A). 


Lat. 

fel 

Ch. 

FAIL£ 

Ter. 

FAL£. 

veru 

VAIR£ 

VAR£. 

pilu 

FAILE 

PALE. 

tectu 

TATT£ 

TATTE. 

pectu 

PATT£ 

PATTE. 

strictu 

§TRATT£ 

STRATTE. 

Note  I.)  Finamore  quotes  examples  of  E,  £,  fi£,  A,  A,  O, 
6,  and  UE. 

DEBBELE,  DEBBELii,  D^^BBELE,  DkBBELE,  DAB- 
BELE,  DOBB£L£,  DOBB£L£,  DUEBB£L£,  debole;  etc. 

IV.  Tonic  close  E  free  or  checked  becomes  I  in  Chietino 
and  Teramano  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  I. 

PILE,  peli;  NtRE,  neri;  PUJITE,  poeti;  Ch.  PRINE,  Ter. 
PLIN£,  pieni;  Ch.  Mt§£,  Ter.  MISE,  mesi;  MISSE,  messi.. 


36  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

V.  Tonic  open  E  free  becomes  I  in  Chietino  and  Teramano 
when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  I. 

FIDE,  piedi. 

VI.  Tonic  open  E  checked  becomes  I£  in  Chietino  and  I 
in  Teramano  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  L 

Ch.  LIETTE,  Ter.  LtTTE,  letti ;  Ch.  TI£MB£,  Ter. 
TIMB£,  tempi;  Ch.  BlfiLLE,  Ter.  BILL£,  belli;  Ch. 
DIfiNDE,  Ter.  DlND£,  denti. 

VIL  In  proparoxytones  we  find  Chietino  1^,  Teramano  I. 

Ch.  MI£D£CHE,  Ter.  MtDECHE,  medici;  Ch.  PRI£- 
V£T£,  Ter.  FRIVETE,  preti ;  Ch.  DltBBETE,  Ter.  DIB- 
BETE,  debiti. 

VIII.  Followed  by  a  Y-  combination :  we  have  Ch.  and  Ter. 
RIZZE  (retia)  ;  NNIV£J£  (indivia)  ;  but  CONZ£J£  (con- 
silium) ;  MEJJ£  (melius);  MARAVEJJ£  (mirabilia). 

Representing  open  E :  Ch.  REMIeDD£J£,  Ter.  REMID- 
DE]E  (rimedium)  ;  Ch.  CUMMTfiDD£J£,  Ter.  CUMMID- 
DEJE  (commedia). 

In  conjugations  we  have  Ch.  and  Ter.  TeGN£,  tingo ; 
JARESB£JJ£,  risveglio;  etc.,  in  which  the  second  person 
singular  shows  I ;  but  we  also  have  Ch.  TIfiNGH£,  Ter. 
TINGH£.  tengo ;  Ch.  VIfeNGH£,  Ter.  VINGH£ ;  etc.,  from 
Latin  open  E. 

I. 

Tonic  I  (Classic  Latin  long  I)  remains  throughout  the 
territory  with  but  few  exceptions. 

JENTILE,  JENDIL£,  gentile;  FILO,  FtL£;  UALLINA, 
HALLINE,  JALLiNE,  GALLING. 

Note.)      Finamore  notes  cases  showing  EI,  OI,  and  AI. 

SPEIC.^,  SPAIC^,  spiga;  HALLEIN^,  HALLAIN^, 
gallina;  MEDECEIN/^,  medicina ;  JENDEIL£,  gentile; 
RUMEIT£,  romito ;  DOIT£,  DAIT£,  dito ;  FOIL£,  FAIL£, 
filo ;  CIARDAINE,  giardino ;  MATUTAINE,  mattutino. 

These  forms  do  not  however  show  any  regular  development 
or  tendency  in  any  extended  territory. 


ABRUZZESE  37 

o. 

{Close). 

I.  Tonic  close  O  remains  in  the  provinces  of  Naples,  Terra 
di  Lavoro,  JMolise,  Aquila.  Ascoli,  and  Alacerata  when  the  final 
Latin  vowel  was  not  I  or  O  (U). 

OR^;  UTTOBRE,  ottobre;  MOND£,  monte. 

Note  I.)  In  Molise  we  frequently  find  OU  in  the  penult 
when  that  syllable  is  open. 

CAFF6UN£,  cafifone;  BUFFOUN£,  buitone;  and  all  other 
words  in  -ONE. 

II.  Tonic  close  O  usually  becomes  U  in  the  provinces  of 
Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Ascoli,  and  Macerata 
when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  I  or  O  (U). 

(Masc.)  MMEDItrSO,  MMEDItlSE,  invidioso,  (Fem.) 
MMEDI6S^. 

(Sing.)    ADD0R£,  odore,  (Plu.)  ADDtlRE. 

(Masc.)   gPtJSO,  §PtrS£,   (Fem.)    ^VOSA. 

(Masc.)   StJLO,  StJL£.  (Fem.)  SOL.^. 

(Masc.)  CURItrSO,  CURItJS£,  (Fem.)  CURICS.4, 
CURIOS£. 

(Sing.)    UAJ0N£,  UAGLIONE   (Oscan  valaemom?). 

(Plu.)      UAJT?N£,  UAGLItrN£. 

(Sing.)    REM6RE,  rumore,  (Plu.)  REMtJR£. 

Note  I.)  This  tendency  ex^tends  northward  as  far  as 
Ancona.  Sinigallia,  Arcevia,  Cupramontana,  Fabriano,  Norcia, 
Rieti,  Palombara,  San  Vito  Romano,  Guarcino,  Anagni,  and 
Nettuno,  but  is  not  noticeable  in  Rome,  Orvieto,  or  Perugia. 

Note  2.)     -ORIO,  -ORIA  become  -iJRE,  -6RA. 

CUSATtJRE,  CUSATOR^,  cucitore,  cucitora. 

Note  3.)  D'Ovidio  notes  for  Campobasso  the  irregular 
plurals  NOM£ ;  §P6S£ ;  second  person  singulars  with  UO, 
TU  TE  NZUOR£  (but  is  this  not  probably  from  Latin  open 
O  ?)  ;  and  the  irregular  forms  PREJATOR£J£ ;  MAGNA- 
TOR£J£ ;  'N  GERNET6R£J£  coming  from  Latin  words  in 


38  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

-ORIU  in  which  we  may  suspect  learned  influence ;  and 
RASUOL£,  rasoio,  which  may  be  influenced  by  the  Tuscan. 

Note  4.)  In  Alatri  and  Arpino  we  find  the  plurals  MONTE ; 
P6NT£ ;  NOME. 

Note  5.)  In  the  inflection  of  the  verb  we  find  O  in  the 
first  person,  U  in  the  second  singular. 

M'ADDONE,  T'ADDT^NE:  §P6S£,  ^P^OSE,  io  sposo, 
tu  sposi. 

III.  Tonic  close  O  is  somewhat  confused  with  open  O  in 
Chietino  and  Teramano.     See  below. 

Open  0. 

I.  Tonic  open  O  free  or  checked  usually  remains  in  the 
provinces  of  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Ascoli, 
and  Macerata  except  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  I  or 
O  (U). 

CoR£,  cuore;  VOV£,  bue;  J0M£,  0M£,  uomo;  SoR^, 
SOR£,  suora;  PROV^,  PROVE,  pruova. 

Note.)  In  Campobasso  this  O  is  usually  open  in  proparoxy- 
tones  and  close  in  paroxytones.      (v.  D'Ovidio). 

II.  Tonic  open  O  free  or  checked  usually  becomes  UO  in 
the  provinces  of  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila, 
Ascoli,  and  Macerata  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  I  or 
O  (U). 

(Sing.)    CORE,  (Plu.)  CUORE. 
(Masc.)   BUONO,  BUONE,  (Fem.)   BONA,  BONE. 
(Masc.)  CUOCO,  CUOCHE,  (Fem.)  COC^,  COCHE. 
(Sing.)    UOVO,  UOVE,  (Plu.)  6VA,  OVE. 

UOCCHIO,  UOCCHIE,  occhio ;  SUONNO,  SUONNE, 
sonno;  PUORCO,  PUORCHE,  porco,  PORC^,  PORCHE, 
porca. 

Note  I.)  Diphthongization  does  not  regularly  take  place  in 
the  first  person  singular  of  the  Present  Indicative,  but  does  in 
the  second  person. 

Note  2.)    In  Alatri  we  do  not  find  diphthongization.    Some 


ABRUZZESE 


39 


words  which  present  close  O  (as  if  from  Latin  close  O)  when 
the  termination  is  -A  or  -E  show  U  under  the  influence  of  a 
final  Latin  I  or  O  (U). 

FRONN/^,  fronda,  FRt:jGN/  (frondi)  ;  M6NTE,  MtJNT/. 

Note  3.)  The  tendency  towards  UO  under  the  influence  of 
final  I  or  O  (U)  is  noted  as  far  as  Ancona,  Fabriano,  Perugia, 
Todi.  Orvieto,  and  occasionally  at  Rome. 

Note  4.)  In  Arpino  we  find  U(E  instead  of  UO  before  R 
followed  by  another  consonant. 

PUCERCHE,  PUCERCO,  porco;  CUCERP£,  CUCERPO, 
corpo. 

in.  Latin  tonic  open  or  close  O  became  open  O  in  Chietino 
and  Teramano  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  A.  E,  or  O. 
This  sound  further  developed  and  we  have  the  following  list 
of  examples. 


Lat.  bove   Ch.  VAUV£-. 


bonu 

BAUN£ 

solu 

SAUL£ 

flora 

FIAUR£ 

criice 

CRAUC£ 

porta 

P6RT£. 

nostru 

NOSTRA. 

porco 

PUORCHE 

incontra 

NGONDR£ 

russu 

ROSE. 

turdu 

TORDE. 

Ter.  V6V£. 
BON£. 
SOLE. 
FL6R£. 
CR6CE. 


PORCHE. 


Note  I.)  Finamore's  examples  are  interesting.  He  notes 
UORT£,  orto;  PUOZZE,  pozzo;  MUORTE,  morte; 
FUORT£.  forte;  DUOLGE,  dolce;  'NBUORTE,  importa; 
SUOLD£,  solde;  D0LG£,  dolce;  URSOGNE,  Orsogna; 
GI£RN£,  giorno;  DUL£R£,  dolore;  AM£R£,  amore;  PAS- 
TURE, pastore;  fiR£,  ora;  PASSIeN£,  passione. 

Note  2.)  Savini  states  that  in  Teramo  we  have  open  O 
from  Latin  long  O  (FLORE;  0R£),  O  from  Latin  short  O 
(BON£;  VOV£;  OM£;  JOCH£,  gioco),  and  UO,  occasion- 


40  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

ally    O,    from    Latin    O    in    position    (UOSS£;    CUORD£; 
UOTT£.  otto;  but  LONGH£). 

IV.  Tonic  close  O  free  or  checked  becomes  £U  in  Chietino 
and  U  in  Teramano  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  L 

Ch.  CANN£UN£,  Ter.  CANNtlNE,  cannoni;  Ch. 
CAF£UN£,  Ter.  CAFtJN£,  caf^oni;  Ch.  FIEVRE,  Ter. 
FLT?R£,  fiori;  Ch.  SFEVjSE,  Ter.  ^FtJSE,  sposi ;  Ch. 
JEURN£,  Ter.  JtJRN^,  giorni;  Ch.  T£URD£,  Ter.  TtJRD£, 
torti;  Ch.  L£uMM£,  Ter.  LtlMME,  lombi ;  Ch.  SEt]RGE, 
Ter.  S0RGE,  sorci. 

V.  Tonic  open  O  free  becomes  EJJ  in  Chietino  and  U  in 
Teramano  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  L 

Ch.  BEtJNE,  Ter.  BtJNE,  boni ;  Ch.  V£uV£,  Ter.  VtJV£, 
buoi ;  Ch.  P£UCH£,  Ter.  PtJCH£,  pochi ;  Ch.  N£uV£,  Ter. 
NtJV£,  nuovi. 

VL  Tonic  open  O  checked  becomes  UO  in  Chietino,  U  in 
Teramano  when  the  final  Latin  vowel  was  L 

Ch.  PUORC£,  Ter.  PtJRC£,  porci ;  Ch.  PUoST£,  Ter. 
PtJ§T£,  posti;  Ch.  STUORT£.  Ter.  .STl5RT£,  storti ;  Ch. 
MUORT£,  Ter.  MtJRT£.  morti. 


f 


Vn.  In  proparoxytones  tonic  close  O  free  or  checked  be- 
comes Ch.  £tj,  Ter.  U,  and  tonic  open  free  or  checked  becomes 
Ch.  UO,  Ter.  U  under  the  influence  of  a  final  Latin  I. 

Ch.  G£UV£N£,  Ter.  GtJV£N£,  giovani;  Ch.  F£uN- 
N£CH£,  Ter.  FtJNN£CH£,  fondachi ;  Ch.  MUON£C£,  Ter. 
MtJN£C£,  monaci ;  Ch.  CUoD£C£,  Ter.  CtJD£C£,  codici ; 
Ch.  STU0M£CH£,  Ter.  STtJM£CH£,  stomaghi;  Ch. 
JUOMM£N£,  Ter.  JtJMM£N£,  uomini;  Ch.  VRUOC- 
CH£L£,  Ter.  VRt:jCCH£L£,  broccoli;  Ch.  CUOMM£D£, 
Ter.  CtJMM£D£,  commodi. 

VIII.  Followed  by  a  Y  combination  close  O  usually  results 
in  Chietino  £U,  Teramano  U  (just  as  when  the  final  vowel 
was  I). 


ABRUZZESE 


41 


Lat.  furia  Ter.  FtjREJE.  Ch.  F£uR£J£ 

diluviu  DELLtlV£J£.  DELL£UV£J£ 

angustia  ]ANG'0§,TE]E.  JANGH£UST£J£ 

auguriu  A]-ORE]E.  AJEVjREJE 

Note  I.)  Exceptions  are  Ch.  and  Ter.  OGN£,  ogni; 
M0JJ£,  moglie;  JOCC£,  goccia;  ONZ£,  oncia;  POZZE, 
pozzo. 

Note  2.)  Ch.  VREVUOGNE,  Ter.  VREVtJGN£  points 
to  a  Latin  verecondia. 

IX.  Followed  by  a  Y  combination  open  O  became  Ch.  UO, 
Ter.  U  (like  tonic  open  O  checked  when  the  final  Latin  vowel 
was  I). 

Ch.  JU0CCHI£,  Ter.  Jl5CCHI£,  occhio ;  Ch.  CUOCCHIE, 
Ter.  CtrCCHIE  (cochlea)  ;  etc. 

U. 

L  Tonic  U  (Classic  Latin  long  U)  remains  in  all  the  terri- 
tory (Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Macerata,  As- 
coli,  Teramo,  and  Chieti)  when  the  final  Latin  syllable  did  not 
contain  I  or  a  palatal.  -   ;  i--'fr 

MtJRE,  MXjRO  ;  JtJNA,  LtlNA,   LtJNE ;  JtJP£,  IXjRE/ 
LtjPO. 

Note.)  Finamore  also  notes  TeU  ;  L£UP£ ;  PJ£UR£; 
Ti;  LOP£;  &c. 

n.  Latin  tonic  U  remains  in  the  provinces  of  Naples,  Terra 
di  Lavoro,  Molise,  Aquila,  Macerata,  Ascoli,  and  Teramo 
when  the  final  Latin  syllable  contained  I  or  a  palatal. 

MtjRE,  mnri ;  Jt:jP£,  LXjFE,  lupi ;  FtlRE,  puri,  etc. 

in.  Latin  tonic  U  becomes  Etj  in  Chietino  under  the  influ- 
ence of  a  following  I  or  palatal  whether  it  be  in  paroxytones 
or  proparoxytones. 

N£UDE,  nudi;  M£UR£,  muri ;  JEVJ^TE,  giusti;  J£0- 
DECE,  giudici ;  LEtJTEME,  ultimi ;  F£uLM£N£,  fulmini ; 
G£UGN£,  giugno;  LEXJJJE,  luglio;  §TR£UJJ£,  struggo; 
JAREN£tJNCiiJ£,  rinuncio. 


42  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITAL'i 

Pretonic  Vowels. 

Initial. 

A. 

Pretonic  initial  A  usually  remains. 

AMOR£,  AMMoR£. 

Often  other  pretonic  initial-  vowels  become  A. 

ACCHIAL£,  UCCHIAL£,  occhiale;  AS(S)EMPIO  (ex- 
emplum);  ACCID£(RE),  uccidere;  ACCASIONE,  occa- 
sione. 

Note.)     Often  two  forms  exist  side  by  side. 

Sometimes  A  becomes  initial  by  the  loss  of  an  initial  conso- 
nant (usually  G). 

ALLIN/^,  GALLIN.4. 

Compounds  with  A  -|-  a  consonant  (from  Latin  AD-)  are 
very  common. 

ADDO(VE),  dove;  ABBADA(RE)  ;  ATTUNNA(RE), 
attondare. 

Often  A-  is  developed  before  initial  R.  Then,  if  followed 
by  a  vowel,  the  R  may  be  doubled.  RI-  becomes  AR(I). 
Under  the  secondary  accent  this  A  may  be  re-enforced  by  an 
initial  aspirate  (H)  or  a  Y  sound  (written  J)  in  the  pro- 
vinces of  Teramo,  Chieti,  and  Molise. 

AR(I)TENfi(RE)  ;  AR(I)TORNA(RE)  ;  JARRUBIVE, 
rubai. 

Note  I.)  The  aspirate  or  Y  sound  may  develop  before 
A-  from  other  sources  in  Teramo,  Chieti,  and  Molise. 

JACCUSCI,  HACCUSCI,  cosi.  accosi. 

Note  2.)  This  tendency  is  not  as  strong  in  Naples 
and  Terra  di  Lavoro  as  elsewhere  but  Neapolitan 
AR(R)EPI(RE),  aprire,  perhaps  may  show  metathesis  of 
R  and  development  of  initial  A-,  or  it  may  be  from 
ADAPRIRE. 

Note  3.)  The  tendency  to  develop  A-  before  initial  R  is 
noted  in  Central  Italian  territory  East  of  a  line  running  from 


ABRUZZESE  43 

near  Corneto  between  San  Lorenzo  Nuovo  and  Orvieto,  East 
of  Acquapendente.  Santa  Fiora,  and  Arcidosso,  West  of 
Chiusi,  Cortona,  CastigHone  Fiorentino,  Arezzo,  and  Palaz- 
zuolo.  but  East  of  Vicchio. 

E. 

Initial  unaccented  E  may  become  A  or  be  lost. 
ASTRfiMO       (extremum)  ;      ASEMPIO       (exemplum)  ; 
ASSUCA(RE),   (exsucare)  ;  SCI(RE),  uscire. 


Initial  unaccented  I  usually  falls. 
NCANTO,  incanto;  NGEGNA(RE),  ingegnare. 
Note.)     In   the   speech   of   the   educated   it   is    frequently 
retained. 

It  sometimes  becomes  A. 

AMMENDA(RE),  MMENTA(RE),  inventare. 

O. 

Initial  unaccented  O  usually  becomes  U,  but  may  fall,  or 
be  changed  to  A. 

UCCHIAT^,  occhiata;  UBBERIENZ^,  ubbidienza; 
UNESTA,  onesta;  UNESTO,  NESTO,  onesto;  NOR£, 
ANNOR£.  onore;  RAZZEJONE  (orationem)  ;  ADDORE, 
odore. 

U. 

Pretonic  initial  U  usually  remains,  but  may  fall,  or  be 
changed  to  A. 

UMORE;  NU,  uno;  NEVERZALE,  universale;  AS- 
SURPA(RE),  usurpare. 

Pretonic   Vowels   Non-Initial. 

Pretonic  A  non-initial  remains. 

CAPIELLO,  CAPPIEJ£,  cappello;  GALANT£, 
HALANT£. 


44 


THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 


Pretonic  E  non-initial  remains,  but  may  become  A  before 
R.     In  hiatus  it  becomes  I. 

NEPOT£;  LENTfiZ// ;  DICIARA,  dira;  CRIA(RE), 
CRIJA(RE). 

Pretonic  I  (Classic  Latin  long  I)  non-initial  usually  remains, 
but  occasionally  we  find  E. 

FIDA(RE);  FIDtJCI^,  FEDtrCI^  ;  FINhZ.-^. 

Classic  Latin  short  I  (Vulgar  Latin  E)  becomes  E. 
TENTOR£;  LENZOLE;  LETECA(RE),  litigare. 

Pretonic  O  non-initial  usually  becomes  U. 
DUTTORE,         dottore;        ADDURA(RE),        odorare; 
PURTA(RE). 

Pretonic  U  non-initial  remains. 
SUPINO;  MURAGLI^. 

Post-Tonic  Vowels  Non-Final. 

Post-Tonic  non-final  A,  E,  and  I  tend  to  become  E,  unless 
followed  by  R,  in  which  case  the  tendency  is  towards  A. 

SABB£TO,  SAPETO,  sabato;  6RGH£N0,  organo; 
MMAG£N£,  imagine;  XjRUEMO,  XjDDEME,  ultimo; 
GIOV£N£,  JOV£N£,  giovine;  tlA^ARA,  mjLARE,  edera. 

Post-tonic  non-final  O  and  U  become  U  (occasionally  con- 
fused with  E). 

URACf/LO;  MIRACt/LO;  DIAVf/LO,  DIAVf/L£, 
DIAV£L£. 

PosT-ToNic  Vowels  Final, 

Post-tonic  vowels  final  become  semi-mute  and  are  often 
confused. 

In  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Aquila,  Macerata,  and  Ascoli 
one  can  distinguish  final  A  (from  Latin  A),  ii  (Latin  E  or 
I),  and  0  (Latin  O  or  U).  Final  Neapolitan  0  is  pro- 
nounced as  an  obscure  U  rather  than  as  O. 

In  Molise  one  distinguishes  final  A  (Latin  A)  and  E  (Latin 
E,  1,0,  and  U). 


ABRUZZESE  45 

In  Teramo  and  Chieti  we  find  only  "  E  mute  "  (E)  stand- 
ing for  all  final  unaccented  vowels. 

Initial  Consonants. 

In  dealing  with  initial  consonants  we  must  consider  the 
position  of  the  word  in  the  sentence.  At  the  beginning  of  a 
phrase  or  after  a  polysyllable  we  usually  find  what  may  be 
called  normal  development.  After  many  monosyllables  how- 
ever we  notice  a  re-enforcement  of  the  initial  consonant  which 
usually  results  in  gemination.  The  most  important  of  these 
words  are  E  (est),  E  (ilH,  illae),  A  (ad),  PE  (per),  CHE 
(qui,  quis,  quod,  etc.) 

B. 

Initial  B  remains,  but  is  often  confused  with  V,  occasion- 
ally with  P,  and  sometimes  (especially  in  the  provinces  of 
Teramo,  Chieti,  and  Molise)  with  M.  Occasionally  it  disap- 
pears in  unaccented  syllables  before  U. 

(Campobasso)  BUONE ;  V6CCA,  bocca;  VOV£,  bue; 
MAMMACIA,  bambagia;  ME§CUOTT£,  biscotto. 

(Alatri)  BONO;  BAMMACI^  ;  V0V£ ;  VJATO,  beato. 

(Arpino)   BUONO;  VOCC^;  VJATO. 

(Aquila)  Y6CCA,  BO',  vuoi ;  BOTfiV^,  poteva. 

(Teramo)  BARVE,  barba ;  VOV£ ;  PESACC£,  bisaccio; 
MESCOTTE,  biscotto. 

(Chieti)  VESACCE,  bisaccio;  VARV£.  barba;  PICCH£, 
becco;  ME§COTT£,  biscotto;  MAMMOCCE,  MAMMACE, 
VAMMACC£,  bambagia. 

UCC6N£,  boccone,  and  UTT0N£,  bottone,  are  heard  in 
the  provinces  of  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Molise,  and  Aquila. 

When  initial  B  is  re-enforced  it  is  regularly  doubled. 
CH£  BBELLEZZA;  A  CCHfi  BBUONO? 

BR  initial  remains  or  is  confused  with  VR,  sometimes  with 
PR. 

(Campobasso)  BREJANT£,  brigante;  VRACCIJ,  braccia; 
VRfiCCI^,  breccia. 


46  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

(Alatri,  Arpino,  Naples,  Aquila,  Ascoli,  Macerata) 
VRACCI^,  braccia;  VRfeCCW,  breccia;  BRUNELLA, 
PRUNELLA. 

(Teramo,  Chieti)   VR£CCI£ ;  VROCCH£L£,  broccole. 

When  re-enforced  it  becomes  BBR. 

CHE  BBREJANTE,  CH£  BBRICANT£,  che  brigante. 

BL  initial  becomes  J  in  Neapolitan,  GGHI  in  Molise,  BI 
in  most  of  the  provinces  of  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Aquila,  Chieti, 
Ascoli,  and  Macerata.  It  remains  BL  in  a  large  part  of  the 
province  of  Teramo.  When  re-enforced  it  becomes  GGHI  in 
Naples  and  Molise  (and  the  Southern  part  of  Terra  di 
Lavoro),  BBI  in  most  of  the  provinces  of  Terra  di  Lavoro, 
Aquila,  Chieti,  Ascoli,  and  Macerata,  and  BBL  in  a  large  part 
of  Teramo. 

(Naples)  JANCO,  bianco;  E  GGHIANCO,  e  bianco; 
JA§TEMMA(RE),  bestemmiare. 

(Campobasso)  GGHIANGHE  (JANCO  is  probably  a 
borrowing  from  the  Neapolitan),  bianco. 

(Alatri,  Arpino,  Aquila,  Chieti,  Ascoli,  Macerata)  BIANCO, 

BIANGO;  t  BBIANCO,  £  BBIANGO ;  BIAgTEMA(RE). 

(Teramo)BLANGH£;  £  BBLANGHE;  BLASTEMA  (RE). 


Initial  P  remains. 

PACE;  PARLA(RE);  P£Ct/R^  ;  PASSO. 

In  PUTfiC^,  PUTfiCHE  P  formerly  intervocalic  but  be- 
coming initial  has  remained.     Cf.  It.  bodega. 

In  BlFiiR£,  BBlF£Rii  quoted  by  Finamore  for  Chieti  we 
find  an  intervocalic  development  of  P  due  without  doubt  to 
analogy  with  the  noun  SONABlF£R£  and  to  frequent  use 
of  the  phrase  SUNA(RE)  LU  BIFERE  quoted  by  Finamore. 

When  re-enforced  initial  P  becomes  PP. 

PR  initial  remains.  Metathesis  of  an  R  final  in  the  syllable 
or  even  belonging  to  the  next  syllable  is  possible,  resulting  in 
initial  PR  instead  of  simple  P. 

PR£D£C^  ;  PRATO,  PRATE ;  PRfiT.^,  PRfeTE,  pietra. 


ABRUZZESE 


47 


Note.)  In  Neap.  PRi:jBB£CO,  pubblico,  Ch.  and  Ter, 
PRtrBB£CH£,  we  have  metathesis  of  an  R  from  original  L. 

When  re-enforced  initial  PR  often  becomes  PPR. 

PL  initial  becomes  CHI  (KY)  in  the  provinces  of  Naples, 
Terra  di  Lavoro,  and  Molise.  In  the  provinces  of  Latium, 
Ascoli,  and  Alacerata,  and  most  of  Aquila  we  find  PI.  In 
Teramo  we  find  both  PL  and  PI  (PY).  In  the  province  of 
Chieti  we  find  PR,  PI  (PY),  CHI  (KY). 

(Campobasso)  CHIAN£,  piano;  CHIAGN£(RE),  pian- 
gere;  CHIfiJ.4,  piaggia. 

(Naples)   CHIANO;  CHIAGN£(RE)  ;  CHIAJ//. 

(Arpino)  CHIANO;  CHIAGN£(RE) ;  CHmMMO, 
piombo. 

(Alatri)  PIANO;  PIAGN£(RE)  ;  PItlMMO  ;  PI0V£. 

(Aquila)  PIANO;  PIaGN£(RE);  but  CHIT?  by  the  side 
of  VIXJ. 

(Ascoli,  Macerata)  PIANO;  PIAGN£(RE)  ;  PItJ. 

(Teramo)  PIAN£,  PLANE;  PIAGN£(RE),  PLAGN£- 
(RE)  ;  Pltr.  PLtJ. 

(Chieti)  PIAN£.  PLANE,  PRAN£;  PIAGN£(RE), 
PLAGN£(RE),  PRAGN£(RE) ;  PRAZZ^,  CYil^ZZA; 
CHItJ;  £  CCHia 

F. 

Initial  F  remains. 

FACC£,  FACCL^;  FURNA(RE)  ;  FA§TID£J£, 
FASTIDIO. 

When  re-enforced  F  initial  usually  becomes  FF. 
CH£  FFAI  ? 

FR  initial  remains  or  becomes  VR.  Often  after  F  or  V 
we  have  metathesis  of  an  R  originally  final  in  the  syllable  or 
even  belonging  to  the  following  syllable,  resulting  in  initial 
FR,  VR  instead  of  F  or  V. 

FRAT£;  FRASCHE ;  FRAV£C^,  fabbrica;  FREBBARE, 
febbraio;  FR£\M,  FReV£,  FRfiME,  febbre;  VROCC/4, 
forca;  VRfiCCI^,  freccia. 


48  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

Note  I.)  D'Ovidio  notes  M  PACCL-^  (in  faccia)  for 
Campobasso. 

Note  2.)  PROSPERO,  fosforo,  is  heard  in  Terra  di 
Lavoro  and  Naples. 

When  re-enforced  FR  initial  usually  becomes  FFR. 

FL  initial  regularly  becomes  SCI  in  Naples,  part  of  Terra 
di  Lavoro.  and  Molise.  It  becomes  FI  in  Latium,  Aquila, 
Ascoli,  and  Macerata ;  FL  or  FI  in  Teramo ;  FL,  FR,  and 
FI  in  Chieti. 

(Campobasso)  SCIUCCA(RE),  fioccare;  SCIOR£,  fiore. 

(Naples)  SCIUCCA(RE);  SCIORE ;  SCUMMY, 
fiamma,  SCItJM£,  SCItJMMO,  flume. 

(Alatri)    FIUCCA(RE);  FIOR£ ;  FIAMMJ  ;  YltjME. 

(Teramo)   FLOR£.  FIOR£ ;  FLAMM£,  FIAMME. 

(Chieti)  FL0R£,  FIAUR£;  FLAMM£,  FRAMM£; 
FRtJMM£,  fiume. 

V. 

Initial  V  usually  remains,  but  is  sometimes  confused  with 
B,  especially  when  doubled.  Before  O  (rarely  before  "I) 
it  may  become  U  or  disappear.  In  the  provinces  of  Molise, 
Chieti,  and  Teramo  it  often  appears  as  M,  especially  if  there 
is  a  nasal  in  the  following"  syllable. 

(Campobasso)  YkCCA  ;  \VLLA  ;  CH£  BBUO',  che  vuoi? 
OCE,  voce;  Ol^EVA,  volpa;  MENI(RE),  venire. 

(Teramo,  Chieti)  VACCH£ ;  VILL£ ;  CHfi  BBUO?; 
MENt(RE);  HoLB£,  HOL£P£. 

VR  initial  remains.  Metathesis  of  an  R  originally  final,  in 
the  syllable  or  even  belonging  to  the  following  syllable  is 
frequent,  the  result  being  initial  VR. 

VRIOGN/i,  vergogna;  VRITO,  VRIT£,  vetro. 

D. 

Initial  D  becomes  a  voiced  dental  spirant  or  R  in  the 
provinces  of  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  and  Molise.  In  the 
Abruzzo  of  Aquila  it  may  become  a  spirant  or  R  or  disappear 


ABRUZZESE 


49 


entirely.     In  the  provinces  of  Macerata,  Ascoli,  Teramo,  and 
Chieti  it  usually  remains,  though  sometimes  weakened. 

(Campobasso)  DIC£(RE),  RIC£(RE) ;  DA',  RA'.  da. 

(Naples)  DiC£(RE)  ;  RiC£(RE)  ;  DA',  RA'. 

(Arpino)  RIC£(RE);  DONGO,  do;  RIE',  DIE',  diede. 

(Aquila,  Avezzano)    ICO,  RICO,  DICO. 

(Teramo,  Chieti,  Ascoli,  Macerata)  DIC£(RE)  ;  DA(RE). 

Note  I.)  The  tendency  towards  the  spirant  or  R  extends 
as  far  as  Terracina,  Frosinone,  and  Alatri.  Rieti  and  Norcia 
show  a  tendency  towards  the  disappearance  of  initial  D. 

Note  2.)     Teramo  and  Chieti  present  some  forms  with  T. 
DALEFtN£,  TALEFINE,  delfino. 

Note  3.)  When  re-enforced  initial  D  usually  remains,  and 
is  sometimes  doubled. 

DR  initial  is  kept. 

DRUGARL4,  DRUGAREJ£;  DRAPPARI/i,  DRAP- 
PAR£J£. 

T. 

Initial  T  remains.  When  re-enforced  it  is  sometimes 
doubled. 

TAYULA,  TAVELE;  TAGLI^,  TAJ^  ;  TXJ;  E  TTtJ. 

Note.)  Finamore  notes  CHIORT/^,  torta;  CIAMBANE, 
tafano;  CESTtJNIJ^,  testuggine,  as  co-existent  with  the 
regular  forms. 

TR  initial  remains. 
TROJ^;  TRATT.4(RE). 

Note.)  The  form  RETfiLL/^,  trottola,  is  noted  by  Parodi 
for  Arpino. 

L. 

Initial  L  remains  in  most  of  the  territory.  However  in 
the  provinces  of  Terra  di  Lavoro  and  Aquila  and  occasion- 
ally in  those  of  Teramo  and  Chieti  it  develops  a  palatal  quality 
shown  by  the  spelling  LJ.  This  sometimes  further  develops 
into  J  (Y)  which  in  pretonic  syllables  combines  with  a  fol- 


50  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

lowing  E,  O,  or  U,  then  disappears,  leaving  initial  I  instead 
of  the  original  vowel. 

LtJN^,  LJtJNM,  JtJN^;  (U)LEVeTO,,  LJEVfiTO, 
IVfiTO;  LUCfiRT/^,  LJUC£RT/4,  ICtKTA. 

Note  I.)  This  development  is  most  regular  in  the  vicinity 
of  Arpino,  though  we  may  also  note  Teramano  ]X]]]E 
(lolium). 

Note  2.)  RIALii,  leale,  noted  by  Ceci  for  Alatri,  is  prob- 
ably influenced  by,  or  confused  with  REALii   (regalem). 

M. 
Initial  M  remains. 

MARE;  MtLO,  MILE,  melo;  MANO,  MANE. 
Note.)     When  re-enforced  it   is   doubled. 
A  MM£;  A  MMORTE. 

MB,  MV,  NV  becoming  initial  become  MM. 
MMASCIAT.4,     MM  ASCI  ATE,     ambasciata;     MMITA- 
(RE),  invitare. 

MBL  becoming  initial  usually  becomes  MBI.  MBR  be- 
coming initial  remains. 

MBIANCA(RE),  imbiancare;  MBRIACA(RE),  um- 
briacare. 

MM  or  NM  becoming  initial  remains  as  MM. 
MMERITARSE    ( inmeritare  +se) . 

MP  becoming  initial  remains  in  Naples  but  may  become 
MB  elsewhere. 

MPALA(RE),  MBALa(RE);   MPfiGNO,   MBEGNE. 

MPL  becoming  initial  becomes  NCHI  in  Naples,  NCHI  or 
NGHI  in  the  province  of  Naples  and  most  of  Terra  di 
Lavoro,  NGHI  in  Molise  and  occasionally  in  Teramo  and 
Chieti,  MPI  in  most  of  Aquila,  Ascoli,  and  Macerata,  MBI 
in  Teramo  and  Chieti  and  occasionally  in  Aquila,  Ascoli, 
and  Macerata. 

(Campobasso)  NGHIASTE,  impiastro;  NGHIANTA- 
(RE),  impiantare. 

(Naples)  NCHIASTRO;  NCHIANTA(RE). 


ABRUZZESE  cj 

(Arpino)  NCHlAgTRO;  NCHIANTA(RE). 
(Aquila,  Alatri)    (I)MPIA§TRO;    (I)MPIANTA(RE). 
(Teramo,     Chieti)      MBIANTA(RE)  ;      MBIANA(RE), 
impianare;  NGHIASTRE;  MPIA§TR£. 
Note.)     We  also  find  MPR,  MBR. 
MPIEGA(RE),  MPREGA(RE),  MBREGA(RE). 

N. 

Initial  N  remains.     When  re-enforced  it  is  usually  doubled. 
NASO,    NAS£;    NATURE,    NATtJRE;    Nl^J£,    noi;   A 
NNtJJ£,  a  noi. 

Note.)     It  disappears  in  UN,  non. 

NC  becoming  initial  develops  as  Tuscan  NC  or  becomes  NG. 

NCATENA(RE),  NGATENa(RE)  ;  NCE,  NGE,  non 
c'e;  NCURABB£L£,  NGURABB£L£;  NGERATE,  in- 
cerata. 

NCL  becomes  NCHI,  but  in  the  provinces  of  Terra  di 
Lavoro,  Aquila,  Teramo,  and  Chieti  we  also  find  NGHI,  GN. 

NCHIOSTRO,  NGHIoSTRO,  GNOSTRE;  NCHIUVA- 
(RE),   NGHIUVA(RE),   inchiudere. 

NCR  becoming  initial  may  become  NGR. 
NCRESPA(RE),   NGRESPA(RE). 

ND  becoming  initial  remains  if  the  word  has  been  regarded 
as  a  compound  with  the  prefix  IN-,  otherwise  it  becomes  NN. 

NDERIZZO;  NDUVINO;  NNlClSTRI/^,  industria; 
NNOGLI^,  NNi:fJ£  (inductilem?). 

NF  becoming  initial  remains. 
NFADT?SO,  NFADlJSE   (infadosum). 

NFL  becoming  initial  becomes  NFR  or  NFL 
NFRAGRANTE,  (inflagrantem)  ;  NFIAMMA(RE). 

NFR  becoming  initial  remains. 
NFRATTO. 

NG  becoming  initial  remains,  the  G  developing  as  in  Tuscan. 
NGANNA(RE);  NGEGNARSfi. 


52 


THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 


NGR  becoming  initial  remains. 
NGRATO;  NGRILLARSR 

NN   becoming  initial   remains. 

NNATO,  NNAT£,  innato;  NNAMURARSE. 

NQU  becoming  initial  remains  in  Naples,  Macerata,  and 
Ascoli ;  elsewhere  it  may  become  NGU. 

NQUILINO,  NGUILINE;  NQUARTA(RE),  NGU- 
ARTA(RE)  ;  NQUANTO,  NGUANDO,  NGUANDE. 

NS  becoming  initial  remains  as  NZ  (written  NS  or  NZ). 
NSEGNA(RE),   NZEGNA(RE) ;   NStJRDO,   NZl^LDE, 
insulto. 

NT  becoming  initial  remains  in  Naples,  Ascoli,  and  Mace- 
rata.    Elsewhere  it  may  become  ND. 

NTAGLIO,  NTAJO,  NDAGLIO,  NDAJ£;  NTAMA(RE), 
NDAMA(RE). 

NTR,  NDR  remain  in  Naples,  Ascoli,  and  Macerata. 
Elsewhere  they  are  usually  confused,  giving  NDR. 

(Naples)  NTRUNA(RE),  intronare ;  NTRUVULA(RE) 
(inturpidare)  ;  NDRE/^,  Andrea. 

(Teramo)  NDRAVEDE(RE),  intravedere;  NDRfeJE, 
Andrea;  NDRAPI(RE). 

NV  becoming  initial  becomes  MM. 

MMIT(T)A(RE),    invitare;    MMENTA(RE),    inventare. 
Note.)     NV  often  remains  in  the  provinces  of  Macerata, 
Ascoli,  and  the  Northern  part  of  Aquila. 

R. 

R  initial  generally  remains.  In  the  provinces  of  Macerata, 
Aquila,  Ascoli,  Teramo,  Chieti,  and  Molise  it  is  re-enforced 
and  frequently  develops  a  prefixed  A-. 

ROS^,  ROSE;  RE,  RRE,  ARRE. 

Note.)     In   Naples   it  occasionally  becomes  L. 

LfiBBRECA,  replica;  LEPRtlBBEC^,  repubblica. 

Note  2.)     In  Arpino  we  occasionally  find  D. 

DEMERIO,  rimedio;  DECREA(RE),  ricriare. 


ABRUZZESE  53 

S  and  X. 

Initial  S  usually  remains.  When  re-enforced  it  is  gener- 
ally doubled. 

SfiR^;  S0L£;  SeMP£,  S£MPR£;  SE;  A  SS£. 
Note.)     It  occasionally  becomes  Z. 
Z6LF0   (sulphur);  ZUCa(RE),  sucare. 

X  becoming  initial  gives  SCI  (S)  in  SCIAQUA(RE) 
(exaquare). 

SB  and  XB  becoming  initial  give  SB,  in  which  the  S  is 
slightly  palatalized  in  part  of  the  territory. 
SBATT£(RE),  §BATT£(RE). 

SBR  and  XBR  becoming  initial  remain  as  SBR,  the  S 
being  slightly  palatalized  in  part  of  the  territory. 

§BRUGLIA(RE),  disimbrogliare ;  SBRIUGNA(RE), 
§BREVUGNA(RE),  svergognare,  (showing  metathesis 
of  R). 

SC  and  XC  before  A,  O,  and  U  remain  as  SC  (SK)  in 
which  the  S  is  somewhat  palatalized.  The  degree  of  pala- 
talization varies  much  in  different  sections. 

SCAL^,  SCaL£;  SCARPA,  SCARPE ;  §CAPPA(RE). 

SC  and  XC  before  E  and  I  give  SC  (§)  as  in  Tuscan. 
SCETA(RE),      (excitare);      SC£;NN£(RE).      scendere; 
SCES^,  SCfiS£. 

SCL  becoming  initial  becomes  SCHI   (SKY). 
SCHIAFFO,    gCHIAFF£;    §CHIUPPA(RE),    scopiare; 
§CHIATTA(RE). 

SCR  and  XCR  becoming  initial  remain  as  SCR  (SKR). 
§CRIV£(RE);  SCRETTtJRii ;   SCRtJP^LO. 

SD  and  XD  becoming  initial  remain  as  SD,  in  which  the 
S  may  be  slightly  palatalized. 

gDEGNA(RE),  SDEGNA(RE)  ;  §DUGANA(RE), 
SDUGANA(RE),  sdoganare. 


54  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

SF  and  XF  becoming  initial  remain  as  SF,  in  which  the 
S  may  be  palataHzed. 

§FOGLIA(RE),  §FOJJA{RE);  §FARZA(RE)  ;  SFOR- 
ZA(RE). 

SFL  and  XFL  becoming  initial  give  SCI  or  SFI  in  Naples, 
Terra  di  Lavoro,  part  of  Aquila,  and  Molise ;  SFI  in  Mace- 
rata,  Ascoli,  and  most  of  Aquila;  and  SFL  or  SFI  in  Teramo 
and  Chieti. 

(Naples)  SCIANCA(RE),  §FIANCA(RE)  ;  SCIATA- 
(RE),  §FIATA(RE). 

(Ascoli)  SFIANCA(RE);  §FIATA(RE)  ;  SFIORt(RE). 

(Teramo)  SFLOCCH£,  SFI6CCHE;  §FLANGA(RE), 
SFIANGA(RE);  §FLATA(RE),  §FIATA(RE). 

SFR  and  XFR  becoming  initial  remain  as  SFR,  the  S 
being  usually  slightly  palatalized. 

SERENA  (RE)  ;  SFRATTO,  §FRATT£. 

SO   and   XG  before  A.   O,   and   U   remain   as    SG,   the   S 
being  somewhat  palatalized. 
§GUMMA(RE). 

SGR  and  XGR  becoming  initial  remain  as  SGR. 
§GRANA(RE);  SGRAVA(RE). 

SL  and  XL  becoming  initial  remain  as  SL.  Original  SL 
initial  developed  into  SCL,  SCHI. 

SLAVAfRE)         (exlavare);        SCLAVS,        SCHIAVO 

( slavum ) . 

SM  and  XM  becoming  initial  remain  as  SM,  the  S  being 
slightly  palatalized. 

SMANIA(RE);  §MORZA(RE). 

SP  and  XP  becoming  initial  remain  as  SP,  the  S  usually 
being  palatalized. 

SPALL.-^.  §PALL£;  §PANNE(RE). 

SPL  and  XPL  becoming  initial  result  in  SCHI,  SBR, 
or  SBI  in  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  and  Molise ;  SPI,  SPR, 
SPL  in  Ascoli.  ]\Tacerata.  and  most  of  Aquila;  and  SBI,  SBL, 


ABRUZZESE 


55 


SBR   (occasionally  SPI,  SPL,  SPR)   in  Teramo  and  Chieti. 
In  all  districts  the  S  is  usually  somewhat  palatalized. 

§CHIANA(RE),  spianare;  SCHIANTa(RE),  SPIANTA- 
(RE);  §BRENNOR£,  SBIANNOR£,  splendore;  ^FIAZZA, 
SPIAZZE. 

SPR  and  XPR  becoming  initial  remain  as  SPR  or  SBR,  the 
S  being  slightly  palatalized. 
§PRUVARS£ ;  SBRUVARS£. 

ST  and  XT  becoming  initial  remain  as  ST,  in  which  the 
S  is  usually  palatalized. 

§TA(RE)  ;  STRACHINO,  STRACHtN£. 

SV  and  XV  becoming  initial  give  SB  or  SV. 
SBANKRE),  §VANI(RE);  SBENTtJR^,  SVENTUR//. 
Note.)     In   Ascoli,   Macerata,   and   the   Northern   part   of 
Aquila  SV  is  more  frequent  than  SB. 

C. 

Initial  C  before  A,  O.  and  U  remains.  When  re-enforced 
it  is  usually  doubled. 

CAVa(RE);  CONT.4,  CONTE;  CAJETANO,  CAJE- 
TAN£;  A  CCAJETANO. 

Note  I.)      Finamore  quotes  examples  of  QU,  before  A. 

QUAVALL£,  cavallo;  QUASTfiLL£,  castello;  OUAF^, 
caffe;  OUASTICH£,  castigo ;  OUAPeLLE,  cappello. 

Initial  C  before  E  and  I  generally  develops  as  in  Tuscan. 

CERCA(RE);  CITTA,  CITa;  CtMA,  CtME. 

Note  I.)  Finamore  notes  CHJIfiRCHIE,  CHJICH- 
JIeRCHL^.  cerchio;  CUWRMA,  ciurma ;  CHIOCHL4  in 
which  we  find  CH  (K). 

CL  initial  appears  as  CHI,  occasionally  CL  or  CR. 

CHIAV£;  CHIARO.  CHIARE;  CLEMENDIN.4  ; 
CRIMM//,  clima. 

Note  I.)  The  words  showing  CL  or  CR  are  mostly  patri- 
cian, though  CL  may  be  regular  in  Teramo. 


56  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

Note  2.)  When  re-enforced  initial  CL  becomes  CCHI, 
CCL,  or  CR. 

CR  initial  remains. 

CRIJATtJR^.  CRIJATi:rR£;  CROC£;  E  CROC£. 

G. 

G  initial  before  A,  O,  and  U  generally  remains  in  Naples, 
Terra  di  Lavoro,  most  of  Aquila,  Macerata,  and  Ascoli,  but 
usually  disappears  in  Teramo,  Chieti,  and  Molise  except  after 
words  which  call  for  the  doubling  of  the  initial  consonant.  In 
accented  syllables  the  vowel  becoming  initial  develops  a  Y 
or  H  before  it. 

(Naples)  GAMM.4,  gamba;  GtlMM^ ;  GAMM.4R0, 
AMM.-iRO. 

(Campobasso)  JAMM^ ;  JT^MM^ ;  JAMM£R£, 
JAMM^R£. 

(Chieti)  HAMM^,  JAMM.4 ;  HtJMM^ ;  HtJMM£; 
HAMM£R£,  JAMMERS. 

G  initial  before  E  and  I  usually  becomes  J,  but  we  often 
find  G.     When  re-enforced  it  becomes  G  or  GG. 

(Naples)  GEMIELLO;  G£NT£,  JfiNT£;  GENNERO, 
JENN£RO. 

(Campobasso)  JELAT£ ;  JENN£R£,  JfeNN/iR£;  E 
GG^NERE. 

(Teramo)    JELA(RE)  ;  JETTA(RE)  ;   Jt^NERE. 

Note.)  JE  GGHIELAT£  (pi.)  (Campobasso)  is  prob- 
ably due  to  analogy  with  JACCIO,  JACC£  (glacies)  which 
is  regularly  GGHIACCIO  after  a  word  which  calls  for  the 
doubling  of  the  initial  consonant. 

GL  initial  regularly  becomes  J  or  GLI  (rarely  GHI),  but 
GGHI  after  a  word  which  calls  for  the  doubling  of  the  initial 
consonant. 

JACCIO  ;  E  GGHIACC£  ;  GLIANDRA  ;  E  GGHIANDR£. 

GN  (Lat.  NY)  becoming  initial  develops  as  Tuscan  GN. 
GNOPAT£,  signor  padre;  GN6R£,  signore. 


ABRUZZESE 


57 


Note.)  Teramo  presents  GNAGNE(RE),  piangere; 
GNUTTUNI(RE),  divenire  ghiotto,  which   are   interesting. 

GR  initial  may  remain  or  become  R.  After  a  word  which 
calls  for  the  doubling  of  the  initial  consonant  we  find  GR, 
GGR. 

GRkZlA,  RkZlA,  RAZEJE;  GRATO,  RATO ;  GRAT- 
TA(RE),  RATTA(RE);  NU  GRANO,  NU  RANO ;  TRE 
GRAN£,  TRE  GGRANE. 

J  and  DI. 

Latin  J  and  DI  (DY)  initial  become  J.  When  re-enforced 
they  give  GGI,  GGHI. 

JtJSTO;  t  GGmSTO,  fi  GGHmSTO ;  JETTA(RE) ; 
JETTATtrR.^. 

Note.)  This  tendency  is  noted  as  far  as  Alatri,  Guarcino, 
Fara.  Rieti,  Terni,  Todi,  Camerino,  Matelica,  Fabriano, 
Arcevia,  and  Recanati. 

QU. 

Latin  QU  generally  remains  before  A.  Before  other 
vowels  it  usually  becomes  C,  CH  (K)  except  in  patrician  and 
learned  words.  When  re-enforced  it  becomes  CQU,  CCH 
(KK). 

(Naples)  QUAS£;  QUAGLIO;  CHISTO,  CHeST.4  ; 
QUIBUS. 

(Campobasso)  QUANDE ;  QUISTE,  CHI§T£,  CHfiST.4  ; 
CACCHE,  QUACCHE,  qualche. 

(Chieti)  CAND£,  QUAND£ ;  QUATR£;  QU£RC£, 
CeRC/?,  CfiRQU^   (showing  metathesis). 

(Teramo)  QUANN£;  QUATTRfi;  CACCH£,  qualche; 
C£RQU£,  querela. 

Note.)  From  the  foregoing  examples  it  is  seen  that  we 
often  find  C,  CH  before  A  and  QU  before  other  vowels. 


58  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

Medial  Consonants. 
B. 

Intervocalic  B  may  give  B,  BB,  V,  P,  M.  MM.  The 
normal  results  are  BB  and  V.  B  and  P  occur  most  frequently 
in  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Ascoli,  and  Macerata  and  M,  MM 
in  Molise,  Chieti,  and  Teramo. 

(Naples)  ABBELE,  abile;  ABBELITA;  SAP£TO, 
SABB£TO,  sabato;  AB£TO,  abito. 

(Camp.)  CARYtrGN£,  carbonchio ;  ABB£L£ ;  ABBETE. 

(Chieti)  ABBETE;  ABBtlSO ;  JIPPONE,  giubbone; 
AMMARCA(RE).  abarcare;  AMMUCA(RE),  aboccare; 
FRfiM£,  febbre;   (cf.  Neap.)   FRtYA). 

(Teramo)  LIBBERTA;  NoBB/L£;  FReM£. 

Note.)  In  the  Abruzzi  of  Teramo  and  Chieti  and  part  of 
Molise  the  B  intervocalic  of  the  Imperfect  Indicative  has 
become  a  simple  aspirate. 

FACIAHAME,  facevamo;  CANTAHAME,  cantavamo. 

BR  and  BL  intervocalic  usually  become   BBR. 

CELEBBRA(RE)  ;  LIBBR£;  UBBRICA(RE),  obbligare. 

Note  I.)  In  Campobasso  we  find  NEGGHI/^  and  in 
Naples  NEGLI/^  co-existent  with  the  less  common  N£BBL/4 
(nebula). 

Note  2.)  FRAVEC^(RE).  fabbricare;  FR^VA, 
FReME,  febbre;  PRUBBECA(RE),  pubblicare,  show  meta- 
thesis as  a  result  of  which  we  have  intervocalic  B  which  then 
develops  along  the  lines  already  noted. 

BI  and  BBI  intervocalic  become  GGI,  J,  GGHI.  The 
normal  development  for  Naples  and  Terra  di  Lavoro  is 
GGI,  although  J  occurs,  and  occasionally  GGHI.  The  nor- 
mal development  for  Molise  and  the  Abruzzi  is  J,  although 
GGI  frequently  occurs,  and  GGHI  occasionally. 

(Naples)  RAGGL^;  CAGGL-^ ;  AGGIO;  MANAGGI^, 
MANAJ^. 

(Camp.)  (AR)RAJW;  CAJOL.4 ;  AJ£ ;  SUGGfiTTE, 
SUGGiTO. 


ABRUZZESE  ^g 

(Guarcino)    (AR)RAJ^;  AJO  ;  AGGIO. 
^    (Mogliano)   {AR)RAGGHI^,  (AR)RAj/i ;  AGGHIO. 

P. 

P  intervocalic  usually  remains  except  in  the  provinces  of 
Teramo  and  Chieti  where  it  may  become  PP,  BB,  or  V. 

(Naples)  ACCUPA(RE);  CUPIfiRTO ;  CAPEPU6ST0. 

(Chieti)  CAPEPOP0L£;  OPPENEJONE;  DESCIB- 
B£L£,  discipolo;  NaBB£L£,  Napoli;  ARECUVERA(RE), 
ricuperare;  CUVfiRT.^. 

PP  intervocalic  usually  remains. 

CAPPELLtJTO,  CAPPELLtJTE ;  APPURTA(RE). 

PI,  PPI,  DPI  intervocalic  usually  become  CCI,  occasionally 
GGI.      (In  borrowed  words  we  may  find  PPI). 

SACCIO,  SACC£;  SECCI^.  SECCE;  ASSAGGIA(RE). 

PL,  PPL,  DPL  intervocalic  may  become  CCHI,  PPI,  PPL, 
PP£L,  PPR,  or  BBR. 

The  development  into  CCHI  is  most  common  in  com- 
pounds and  usually  represents  PL  initial  in  the  uncom- 
pounded  word.  This  development  is  found  in  the  provinces 
of  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  and  Molise,  and  the  Southern 
parts  of  Aquila  and  Chieti. 

ACCHIANA(RE),  appianare ;  ACCHIANTA(RE),  ap- 
piantare.  ACCOCCHIA(RE),  ACCOPPIA(RE)  ;  COC- 
CHI^,  COPPIzJ. 

The  development  into  PPL,  PPiiL  is  almost  entirely  con- 
fined to  the  provinces  of  Teramo  and  Chieti. 

APPLANA(RE);  ACCUPP£LA(RE),  accoppiare. 

The  forms  showing  PPR,  BBR  are  widespread  and  are 
often  co-existent  with  those  showing  other   developments. 

ACCUPPRA(RE);  APPRANA(RE)  ;  ALLfiBBR£C^, 
replica. 

PR,  PPR  intervocalic  remain  or  become  BBR. 
CUPRI(RE);  L£PR£,  LeBBRE;  APRILS,  ABBRILE. 


6o  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

PS  becomes  SS  as  in  Tuscan. 
ISSO,  £SS.4;  §CRISS£. 

PT  becomes  TT  as  in  Tuscan. 
ADDUTTA(RE)  ;  SCRITTO,  SCRITTE. 


Intervocalic  F  usually  remains. 
CAFON£,  CAFOUN£.      <' 

FF.  DF  intervocalic  usually  remain  as  FF. 
CAFFfi;  AFFUCa(RE),  affogare;  AFFIDA(RE). 

FL  and  FFL  (DFL)  intervocalic  become  SCI,  FFR, 
FFI,  FFL. 

The  development  into  SCI  is  limited  to  the  provinces  of 
Naples,  Molise,  and  parts  of  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Aquila,  and 
Chieti. 

(Campobasso)  SCIUSClA(RE)  (which  shows  also  assimi- 
lation of  the  initial  consonant  of  sufRare). 

(Naples,  Camp.)  ASCIA(RE)   (adflare). 

The  other  developments  are  found  throughout  the  territory. 

(Naples)  AFFREZIONE,  AFFLEZION£;  AFFIAMMA- 
(RE). 

(Teramo)  AFFLITT£ ;  AFFLA(RE)  ;  AFFIANGH£, 
AFFLANGHE. 

FR,  FFR,  (DFR)  remain. 

ADDEFRE§CA(RE),  rinfrescare;  AFFRtJNTO,  AF- 
FRlJNTE;  AFFRANCA(RE).  AFFRANGA(RE). 

V. 

Intervocalic  V  usually  remains.  It  occasionally  disappears, 
especially  when  adjacent  to  U.  In  the  provinces  of  Teramo, 
Chieti,  and  Molise  we  occasionally  find  M. 

ADDEVENTA(RE)  ;  ADDUVINA(RE) ;  ARRUINA- 
(RE). 

(Teramo,  Chieti,  Campobasso)  (A) RIMENt (RE),  rivenire. 

VV  (DV)  intervocalic  usually  becomes  BB. 


ABRUZZESE  6 I 

ABBIA(RE),  avviare;  ABBALLE,  avvalle;  ABBIENTO, 
avvento. 

Note.)  Occasionally  we  find  MM  in  Teramo,  Chieti,  and 
Molise. 

AMMENt(RE),  avvenire. 

D. 

Intervocalic  D  may  remain,  or  become  a  voiced  dental 
spirant,  or  a  weak  R,  or  it  may  lose  its  voice  and  become  T, 
or  it  may  lose  its  force  still  more  and  become  a  very  indis- 
tinct sound  designated  by  \ ,  or  it  may  disappear  entirely. 
On  the  other  hand  it  may  become  DD. 

In  most  of  the  provinces  of  Naples,  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Aquila, 
and  Molise,  the  usual  development  is  into  a  dental  spirant  or 
R  before  the  accent,  and  into  T  after  the  accent.  This  can- 
not however  be  stated  as  a  phonetic  law. 

(Naples)  ACCAD£(RE);  ADDeDEC^  ;  MARONN^, 
MADONNA;  ACCARfiMI^,  ACCADEMI^ ;  AFFERA- 
(RE),  AFFEDA(RE);  CATAV£R£;  GRATETtJT£N£ ; 
§Tt5P£T0,  stupido;  FRAC£TO,  fradicio;  PARAVISO, 
paradiso;  AUNI(RE),  adunire;  AORNA(RE),  adornare; 
ADDORE.  odore;  CR£D£TO,  CReDETO,  CRfiRETO, 
CRfiDDETO. 

In  Macerata,  Ascoli,  Teramo,  and  Chieti  the  more  common 
development  is  into  D  before  the  accent,  and  T  after  the  accent. 

SUDA(RE);  HUDE(RE),  JUD£(RE),  godere;  NtJTE, 
nudo;  PfiT£,  piede;  RIT£(RE),  ridere. 

Note.)  Notable  exceptions  are  Neapolitan  TIfiPt/LO, 
tepido;  Terra  di  Lavoro  ARPtNO  (Elpidium)  ;  Teramano 
FRAC£CH£  (Neap.)  FRAC£TO. 

DR  intervocalic  usually  remains,  but  in  Neapolitan  it  may 
become  TR. 

ALESSANDRO,  ALESSANTRO ;  CUCCUDRILLO, 
CUCCUTRILLO. 

Note.)     In  CUCCUDRILLO,  etc.,  we  note  metathesis. 


62  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

DD  intervocalic  usually  remains. 
ADDO(VE);  ADDEFF£NN£(RE). 

DI,  DJ  intervocalic  become  GGHI,  J,  GGI,  DI,  or  DDL 
GGHI  rarely  appears  except  in  compounds  representing  Latin 
AD-  +  J  initial. 

AGGHIUDECA(RE);  AGGHIOGN£(RE),  aggiungere; 
AGGHIU§TA(RE). 

J  is  the  regular  intervocalic  development  for  popular  words. 
AP(P)OjA(RE),  appoggiare;  A?{V)C>]0\  tJjE,  oggi. 

The  forms  showing  GGI  are  probably  borrowed,  while  those 
showing  DL  DDI  are  patrician. 

AP(P)OGGIA(RE);  GUARDI^ ;  CUMMfiDI^,  CUM- 
MEDDI^. 

Note.)     MIEZO,  M^ZA  show  Z. 

DM  intervocalic  becomes  MM. 

AMMUBIGLIA(RE)  ;  AMMIRA(RE)  ;  AMMERETA- 
(RE). 

DN  intervocalic  becomes  NN. 

ANNlJDO;  ANNUMERA(RE) ;  ANNOTA(RE). 

T. 

Intervocalic  T  usually  remains,  even  where  it  has  become 
D  in  Tuscan. 

STRATA,  STRATE  (STRAD/^  is  probably  borrowed)  ; 
SPAT.4,  §PAT£,  etc. 

Note  I.)     Occasionally  we  find  a  weak  voiceless  velar. 

VUMECA(RE),  vomitare;  VOM£CO,  VOM£CH£. 

Note  2.)  Finamore  also  notes  DODD^,  dote;  PATAN/4, 
patata;  RlZZA,  rete  (retia?);  R0C£L£,  rotolo.  SCHIA- 
MAZZA(RE),  scamatare,  is  common  to  most  of  the  territory. 

TR  intervocalic  may  remain  or  become  T.  In  the  provinces 
of  Macerata,  Ascoli,  Teramo,  and  most  of  Chieti  and  Aquila 
it  usually  remains  unless  the  R  is  misplaced  by  metathesis  (as 
in  PRETA,  pietra).  Forms  showing  DR  may  be  Tuscan 
borrowings. 


ABRUZZESE 


63 


MATRE;  PATR£;  LATR£,  LATRO. 

It  usually  becomes  T  in  Neapolitan,  and  frequently  in  Terra 
di  Lavoro,  Molise,  and  Southern  Aquila  and  Chieti. 

MATE;  PATE;  LAT£,  LATR£,  LATRO;  PATINO, 
PATRINO. 

TT  and  TU  intervocalic  become  TT. 
ATTENE(RE)  ;  BATT£(RE). 

TY  intervocalic  may  become  Z,  ZZ,  ZI,  ZZI,  SCI,  or  GI. 

ABBIZIA(RE),  avvizziare;  ACCAREZZA(RE)  ;  AGGRA- 
ZIA(RE)  ;  AMICIZI^  ;  APPREZZA(RE)  ;  ACCURTeZZ^  ; 
ASSULUZIONE;  STASCIONE,  §TAGION£. 


Intervocalic  L  usually  remains,  but  occasionally  appears 
as  R. 

ABB£L£ ;  UCCHIAL£,  UCCHIARE,  occhiale. 

LL  intervocalic  remains. 

ABBALLO,  ABBALLE,  a  valle;  ALLARIA(RE). 

LB  intervocalic  may  be  confused  with  RB. 
ALB^,  KRBA;  ALB£RO,  ARBERO. 

LC  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  often  becomes  RC, 
sometimes  RG. 

StJRCO ;  BALCONE,  BARCONE,  BARGoN£. 

LC  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  may  develop  in  Neapolitan 
into  UC  (in  which  the  C  has  the  sound  of  Roman  C  before  E 
and  I)  and  then  lose  its  U  after  O  or  U.  In  the  Abruzzi  of 
Teramo  and  Chieti  we  find  GG,  GGI. 

ADDUCI(RE),  addolcire;  DOC£,  dolce;  CAUCE, 
CAGG£,  calce;  FAUC£,  FAGG£,  falce. 

Note.)  In  Molise  we  may  find  UC  retained  after  O  in 
an  accented  penult. 

DOUC£,  ROUC£. 

LD  intervocalic  may  become  RD  or  UD  in  Naples,  Molise, 
most  of  Terra  di  Lavoro,  and  parts  of  Aquila  and  Chieti. 
Elsewhere  it  becomes  L<L  as  in  Roman. 


64  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

¥KKDA,  FAUD^,  FALL^ ;  CAUDO,  CARDO,  CALLO, 
CALL£. 

LG  intervocalic  develops  as  in  Tuscan.  Occasionally  we 
find  RG. 

LNE  intervocalic  develops  as  in  Tuscan.  BAGNO, 
BAGN£. 

LM  intervocalic  may  become  MM.     AMMfiNO,  almeno. 

LP  intervocalic  may  become  RP  or  UP  (L£P,  LB  in  the 
Abruzzi  of  Teramo  and  Chieti). 

NCURPA(RE),  NGULPA(RE)  (inculpare);  ASSAR- 
PA(RE) ;  VORP£,  HOLBE,  HOL£P£,  volpe. 

LS  intervocalic  may  become  RZ  or  UZ  (ZZ  in  the  Abruzzi 
of  Teramo  and  Chieti). 

FARZO,  FAUZO,  FAZZ£,  falso;  BARZEMO,  BAZZ£M£, 
balsamo;  PtJRZO,  PtlZO,  PtJZZO,  polso. 

LT  intervocalic  may  become  UT,  T,  RT,  RD  (DD  in  the 
Abruzzi  of  Teramo  and  Chieti). 

AUTAR£,  altare;  ARTfiZZ^,  AUTfiZZ/i ;  RISARDO, 
risalto;  VOT^,  volta;  i:rRD£MO,  tJDDEME,  ultimo; 
VODD£,  volta. 

LTI,  LTY  intervocalic  may  become  IZ  or  UZ. 
AIZA(RE),  alzare;  AUZO  (altius). 

LTR   intervocalic   may   become   T,   UT,   UTR    (NDR   in 
Tercuno  and  Chieti. 
ATO,  AUTO,  AUTRO,  ANDR£,  altro. 

LV  intervocalic  may  become  RV   (except  in  Teramo  and 
Chieti  where  LV  usually  remains). 
ASSORV£(RE),  ASSOLV£(RE);   PORV^,   POLVE. 

LY,  LE,  LI  intervocalic  becomes  J,  J  J  (Y,  YY)  in  most 
of  Macerata,  Ascoli,  Teramo,  Chieti,  and  Aquila;  GLI  (LY) 
in  Naples,  Molise,  and  most  of  Terra  di  Lavoro. 

MfiJO,  MEJJ£,  MfiGLIO;  BATTAJ^,  BATTAJE, 
BATTAGLI.4. 


ABRUZZESE 


65 


Note. )  Under  L  and  L-combinations  Finamore  notes : 
ATR£,  aVETR£,  KITE,  AITRE,  AUT£,  AUTRE,  altroj 
SCUTA  (RE),  ascoltare;  CAPE§TA(RE),  calpestare; 
C6T£,  colto;  DOC£,  DOLG£,  dolce;  POC£,  poke;  \JTEME, 
tJDD£M£,  ultimo;  CACCH£,  qualche;  CALG£,  calce; 
FALZ£,  falso;  ALDaR£,  ARDARE,  altare;  PULDRON^, 
poltrona;  CARZfiTT.4,  calzetta;  SENARY,  signale;  ARDO, 
AVETE,  alto;  VOLD£,  volta;  CURTeLLE,  coltello. 

M. 

Intervocalic  M  usually  remains,  and  is  often  doubled. 
AN£M^  ;  AMMORE ;  NNAMURATO,  NNAMMURATO. 

MM,  DM  remain  as  MM. 
AMMETT£(RE);  AMMALINCUNIRSE. 

MB  intervocalic  becomes  MM. 

GAMM^,  HAMM^,  gamba;  AMMASCI/4,  ambascia; 
BOMM^,  BOMM£,  bomba;  CUMMAT£(RE),  combattere. 

MBI  intervocalic  becomes  GN  (NY). 
CAGNA(RE) ;  SCAGNO,  SCAGNE. 

MP  intervocalic  may  remain  or  be  confused  with  MB. 
ABBAMPA(RE),     avvampare;     ACCAMPA(RE),     AC- 
CAMBA(RE) ;  CAMPO,  CAMBO. 

■  MPL  intervocalic  may  become  MPR,  MBR,  MPL,  MBL, 
or  MPL 

MPR,  MBR  are  the  usual  developments  except  in  Teramo 
and  Chieti  where  we  find  MPL,  MBL.  The  forms  showing 
MPI  are  probably  influenced  by  the  Tuscan. 

CUMBRIMIENTO,  CUMPRIMIENTO,  CUMPLI- 
MeNTE,  CUMBLIMfiND£;  ASSEMPI^ ;  COMBLOTE, 
CUMBROT£,  CUMPLOTJ5. 

Note.)     JEGN£(RE)   (implere)  shows  GN. 

MPR  intervocalic  usually  remains  before  the  accent,  but 
may  become  MP  after  the  accent,  especially  in  the  vicinity 
of  Naples. 

AMPRfiS^,  impresa;  SfiMPRE,  SfiMPE. 


66  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

MN  intervocalic  becomes  NN  as  in  Tuscan. 
DANNA(RE). 

Note.)     Finamore  quotes  examples  of  M  becoming  N. 
NtJSC^,     musca;     NA,     come;     TIJAN£,      (tegamen)  ; 
PANDUMIN£. 

N. 

N  intervocalic  usually  remains.     It  may  be  doubled. 
AN£M^  ;  ANOR£,  ANNoR£,  onore. 

NB  intervocalic  usually  becomes  MM. 
IMMOCHE.  in  bocca. 

NC  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains  in  the  city 

of  Naples,  but  is  confused  with  NG  in  the  rest  of  the  territory. 

AMMANCa(RE),  AMMANGA(RE);  JANCO,  JANGO. 

NC  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  becomes  NC  or  NZ  in 
Naples.     Elsewhere  it  becomes  NG. 

ABBENC£(RE).  ABBENGE(RE),  vincere;  PANZ^, 
PANCI^,  PANGI^. 

ND  intervocalic  becomes  NN. 

QUANNO,  QUANN£,  quando;  ABBANNUNA(RE) ; 
ABBUNNA(RE),  abbondare. 

NF  intervocalic  remains,  or  becomes  MB  (especially  in 
Teramo,  Chieti,  and  Molise). 

CUNFERMA(RE),  CUMBERMA(RE) ;  CUNFESSA- 
(RE),  CUMBESSA(RE). 

NG  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  generally  remains, 
ALLUNGA(RE) ;  LlCrNGO. 

NG  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  usually  becomes  GN  (NY), 
sometimes  NG  as  in  Literary  Tuscan. 

PLAGN£(RE),  PRAGN£(RE),  CHIAGN£(RE) ;  AS- 
TRIGN£(RE) ;  ANGfiLECO. 

Note.)     By  analogy  we  have  CHIAGNO,  etc.,  in  verbs. 

NP  intervocalic  usually  gives  MP  in  Naples,  MB  elsewhere. 
IMPIfeTTO,  IMB£TT£,  in  petto. 


ABRUZZESE 


^7 


NQU  intervocalic  remains  in  Naples,  but  usually  becomes 
NGU  elsewhere. 

CINQU£,  CINGU£. 

NS  intervocalic  remains  or  becomes  NZ. 
ACCUNSENTt(RE);       PENZA ( RE )  ;       NZENZATO, 
NZENZAT£. 

NT  intervocalic  usually  remains  in  Naples,  but  elsewhere  it 
is  confused  with  ND. 

ACCANTO,  ACCANDO;  OUANTO,  OUANDO, 
QUAND£. 

NTR  intervocalic  may  become  NT,  ND,  especially  after 
the  accent. 

DINTO,  DINDO,  DlND£,  dentro. 

Note.)     In  Teramo  and  Chieti  we  find  NDR.    D£NDR£. 

NTY,  NTE,  NTI  intervocalic  become  NZ  (NDZ). 
ACCELLfeNZ^;  AMINfiNZ^,  eminenza;  ANZE,  anzi. 

NV  intervocalic  becomes  MM. 

BEMMENtJTO,  benvenuto;  AMMENTA(RE),  inventare. 

R. 

R  intervocalic  remains. 

CT:rR^,  CtJRE;  PIRO,  pero;  P£RJ. 

Note.)     Final  -RE  of  the  Infinitive  is  usually  dropped. 

AMA(RE);  PfiRD£(RE). 

RR  intervocalic  remains. 
ACCORR£(RE). 

RB  intervocalic  remains. 
ARBOR£,  ARB£RO,  albero. 

RC  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  generally  remains  in 
Naples,  but  is  confused  elsewhere  with  RG. 

BARC^.  BARG/i;  FURCH£TT/i,  FURGHfeTT^, 
FURGHfiTTE. 

RC  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  may  develop  as  in  Tuscan, 
or  become  RZ. 


68  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

MARCI.^,  MARZ^  ;  PERZO,  per  cio. 

RD  intervocalic  usually  remains. 
ACCURDA(RE);  ABBUORDO,  ABBORDE. 

FR  intervocalic  remains.     SCARPA  (RE). 

RG  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  may  remain  or  become 
RI. 

LARGO,  LARIO;  ALLARGA(RE),  ALLARIA(RE). 

RG  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Tuscan. 
SORG£(RE). 

RL  intervocalic  usually  remains.     PARLA(RE). 

RM  intervocalic  usually  remains.     ALLARME. 

RN  intervocalic  usually  remains. 

ATfiRNO,  eterno;  ATTUORNO,  ATToRNE. 

RP  intervocalic  usually  remains,  but  may  become  RB. 
CUORPO,  CORP£,  CUORBO,  CORBE. 

RS  intervocalic  may  become  RZ. 
ARZfiNICO ;  ARZO,  ARZ£,  arso. 

RT  intervocalic  usually  remains  in  Naples,  but  is  elsewhere 
confused  with  RD. 

SPIRITO,  SPIRDE;  ACCERTA(RE),  ACCERDA(RE) ; 
ACCUORTO,  ACCORD£. 

Note.)  As  metathesis  of  R  is  very  frequent  and  often 
occurred  early  we  often  find  R  combinations  reducing  and 
then  developing  as  if  there  had  been  no  original  R  in  that 
combination.  Metathesis  usually  results  in  shifting  the  R 
towards  the  beginning  of  the  word. 

PRfiT^,  pietra;  PRfeVf/L^,  PR£Ht/L^,  pergola; 
TRUMMENDA(RE),  tormentare ;  VRIOGN/^,  VRE- 
VOGN/i,  vergogna. 

When  two  R's  occur  in  the  same  word  one  is  frequently 
changed  to  L  by  dissimilation. 

CULECARS£,  coricarse;  VELARDIN£,  Berardino. 


ABRUZZESE  69 


S  intervocalic  usually  remains.  It  is  seldom  fully  voiced 
and  therefore  is  occasionally  confused  with  SS.  It  is  often 
palatalized,  especially  in  words  beginning  with  C,  CH,  and  QU. 

ABBUSa(RE);  AMUSA(RE),  AMMUSSa(RE)  ; 
QUAS£,  QUASCE;  CUSI,  CUSCt;  ACCUSt,  ACCUSCt. 

SS  intervocalic  usually  remains,  but  may  be  palatalized. 
FOSSA.  F0SS£;  TOSS^,  TOSSE ;  CASSfeTT^,  CAS- 
C£TT^  ;  ABBASCIO  ;  RtlSSO,  RtJSC£. 

Note.)     In  POZZO  (possum)  we  find  ZZ  (poteo?). 

SC  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains.     The  S  may  be  palatalized. 
ABBU§Ca(RE);  AFFU§CA(RE),  offuscare. 

SC  before  E  and  I  generally  develops  as  in  Tuscan. 
CAN0SC£(RE),  conoscere. 

ST  intervocalic  remains,  the  S  being  somewhat  palatalized. 
ABBA§Ta(RE);   ACCU§Ta(RE),   accostare. 

STR  intervocalic  often  becomes  ST,  especially  after  the  ac- 
cent.    The  S  is  usually  somewhat  palatalized. 
MASTO,  maestro;  (I)NCHIa§TO. 

SY,  SE,  SI  intervocalic  usually  become  S  with  httle  or  no 
palatalization. 

CERASO  (ceraseum).  VASO,  bacio. 


Intervocalic  C  before  A,  O,  and  U  generally  remains. 
ACO,  ACHE,  ago;  LUOCO,  LUOCH£,  luogo. 
Intervocalic  C  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Roman. 
DIC£,  RICE,  tCE;  ABBECENA(RE),  awicinare. 

CC  before  A,  O,  and  U  generally  remains. 
ACCASI6NE,  occasione;  ACCADE(RE). 

CC  before  E  and  I  becomes  ZZ  or  CC.  CCI. 
AZZETTA(RE),  accettare;  ACCIDfiNTE,  ACCIDfeNDE. 


70  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

CL,  CCL  (DCL)  develop  as  in  Tuscan  into  CCHL 
UkCCniA;  UOCCHIO,  TJCCHI£. 

CR  intervocalic  usually  remains.  It  may  be  confused 
with  GR. 

LACR£M£,  LAGR£M£;  SACRATa(RE),  SAGRATA- 
(RE),  bestemmiare. 

CT  intervocalic  becomes  TT  as  in  Tuscan. 
FATTO ;  TITTO,  TATT£,  tetto. 

CTE,  CTI  intervocalic  become  ZZ  or  ZI. 
ARRIZZA(RE)    (adrectiare?)  ;  BENEDIZION£. 

CY,  CE,  CI  intervocalic  become  CGI  or  ZZ. 

FACCI^,  FACC£,  FAZZ^,  FAZZE ;  FRECCI^ ,  FREZZ^. 

G. 

Intervocalic  G  before  A,  O,  and  U  may  appear  as  G,  C^ 
V,  H,  J,  or  disappear. 

The  developments  into  G,  C,  and  V  are  primarily  Neapolitan, 
but  are  also  to  be  noted  in  Terra  di  Lavoro,  Aquila,  Macerata, 
and  Ascoli. 

BRIGANT£,  BRICANT£;  STREG/^,  STREC.4 ; 
T^CU'LA;  STROL^CO;  SPAVO,  spago;  PAVA(RE), 
PACA(RE),  PAGA(RE). 

The  development  into  J  belongs  especially  to  Molise. 

PR£J£L^,  PRfeJC/L^  (Neap.  PR£Vf/L^),  pergola; 
FATEJA(RE),  (CASTECA(RE)  and  LETECA(RE), 
found  in  this  district,  may  be  borrowings  from  Neapolitan), 

The  development  into  H  is  regular  in  Teramo  and  Chieti. 
FEHtJRE,  figura;  MAH£,  mago. 

G  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  may  become  J  (Y)  or  GGI. 
L£J£(RE),      L£:GG£(RE);      PROJ£(RE),      porgere; 
PAJ£S£,  PAJ£IS£ ;  PAGGEN/i. 

Note.)     The  forms  showing  GG  may  be  patrician. 

GGL  intervocalic  may  become  GGHI. 
AGGHI A J.4  ( RE ) ,  agghiacciare. 


ABRUZZESE  7 I 

GN  usually  develops  as  Italian  GN  (NY).  In  Molise  we 
often  find  JEN. 

LfiGNA,  L£J£N^;  PtlGNO,  PtrJ£N£ ;  AGNIfeLLO, 
AJ£NI£LL£. 

GR  intervocalic  may  become  CR,  GR,  or  R. 

ACRO  ;  TELfeCR.^FO  ;  ANNEGRI(RE),  ANNERl(RE) ; 
ALLERAM£:NT£,  allegramente ;  VERBEGRAZL^,  VER- 
BERAZEJ^. 

GGR,  DGR  intervocalic  become  GGR. 
AGGRAZlA(RE) ;  AGGRAVARSE. 

J. 

Intervocalic  J  usually  remains  instead  of  becoming  GGI  as 
in  Tuscan.     It  may  be  doubled, 

MAJO,  MAJE,  maggio;  PEJO,  PEJ£,  PEJJE,  peggio. 

J  frequently  appears  as  an  hiatus-breaker,  especially  in 
Molise. 

VERBERAZ£J.4  ;  ANTON£J£,  Antonio. 

Note.)     In  Neapolitan  PfiVO  (pejus)  we  find  V  for  J. 

FINAL  CONSONANTS  have  disappeared.     S  in  accented 
syllables  has,  however,  left  a  trace,  appearing  as  I,  E,  JE. 
NtJ/,  N0£,  NXJJE,  noi ;  Vtr/,  VtJE,  VtJj£,  voi. 


CHAPTER  III.i 

1  Open  E  and  O  are  indicated  by  the  grave  accent  (^),  close  E  and 
O  by  the  acute  (')•  Where  no  accent  is  shown  the  pronunciation  of 
the  accented  vowel  has  been  noted  to  vary  between  open  and  close. 
Palatal  S  is  shown  by  S.    Indistinct  vowels  are  shown  as  A,  E,  0,  etc. 

Neapolitan. 

Tonic  Vowels. 


Tonic  A  remains. 

PATE,  padre;  SARVA(RE),  salvare;  MMACULAT^,  im- 
macolata. 

E  (Open). 

Tonic  open  E  generally  remains  unless  the  vowel  of  the 
final  Latin  syllable  was  I  or  O  (U),  under  which  conditions 
it  becomes  lE. 

Examples  of  the  persistence  of  tonic  open  E :  GALLE- 
NfeLL^;  FRAVULfiLL/4,  fragoletta;  APfiRT^  ;  CtRTA. 

Examples  of  diphthongization :  GALLENIfiLLO ;  FRUS- 
CIAMIfeNTO  ;  FRATIfiLLO  ;  APIfiRTO  ;  CIeRTO. 

In  hiatus  tonic  open  E  becomes  I  as  in  Tuscan. 

MtO;  MtA. 

E  (Close). 

Tonic  close  E  remains  unless  the  vowel  of  the  final  Latin 
syllable  was  I  or  O  (U),  under  which  conditions  it  becomes  L 

NIRO,  N£R^;  CHtSTO,  CHfiST^,  CHISTS  (m.  pi.), 
CHfiSTE  (f.  pi.)  ;  PIRO,  pero ;  F^RA  ;  MtLO,  melo ;  MfiL/i. 

Note.)  It  will  be  seen  from  the  last  two  of  the  foregoing 
examples  that  the  form  M£LU(M)  for  MALUM  must  have 
been  quite  early. 


NEAPOLITAN  73 

I. 

Tonic  I  remains. 

FINE  ;  FILO  ;  ¥lUi  ;  LINO. 

O  {Open). 
Tonic  open  O  generally  remains  unless  the  vowel  of  the 
final  Latin  syllable  was  I  or  O  (U),  under  which  conditions 
it  becomes  U6. 

NUOVO,    NOV/i;    PUORTO,    PORT^ ;   UOVO,   OV^ ; 
UOSSO,  OSS^;  CORE,  (Sing.),  CUOR£  (pi.). 
In  hiatus  it  becomes  U. 
PU£T^. 

O  (Close). 

Tonic  close  O  remains  unless  the  vowel  of  the  final  Latin 
syllable  was  I  or  O  (U),  under  which  conditions  it  becomes  U. 

NNUSTRItJSO,  NNUSTRIOS^.  industrioso,  -a;  NFU- 
MlJSO,<'NFUM0S^,  collerico,  -a;  NFAMONE. 

TESTEMM6NI0,  is  probably  patrician. 

In  hiatus  with  I  from  -S  final  in  accented  syllables  it  forms 
the  combination  -tJj£. 

NtJjE ;  VT?J£. 

In  hiatus  with  -O  (U)  it  forms  -tJJO,  and  with  -A  it  forms 
-0]A. 

StJjO,  SOJ^,  suo,  sua. 

U. 

Tonic  U  remains. 

T^NN£C£,  undici;  STtJF^  ;  CXJRA. 

Pretonic  Vowels. 
Initial. 
Initial  unaccented  vowels  tend  to  disappear.  This  is  be- 
cause in  Neapolitan  the  final  vowels  are  usually  kept,  although 
somewhat  slighted,  and  the  resultant  hiatus  in  connected  dis- 
course has  led  to  a  weakening  and  final  disappearance  of  the 
initial  vowel.  A  and  U  seem  to  have  resisted  this  tendency 
to  fall  much  better  than  other  vowels. 


74  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

Pretonic  Initial  A. 

Pretonic  initial  A  usually  remains. 
AMMOR£ ;  AFFaR£. 

It  falls  in  NATOMI.4,  anatomia;  STRoLACO,  astrologo; 
STROLABIO  (astrolabium). 

Sometimes  A  appears  instead  of  other  pretonic  initial  vowels. 

ASTRfiMO  (extremum)  ;  ASfiMPIO  (exemplum)  ;  AD- 
DIOT.4,  idota;  ANCHI(RE)  (implere)  ;  ACCID£(RE) 
(occidere)  ;  ACCASI6N£  (occasionem)  ;  ASSURPa(RE) 
(usurpare). 

Sometimes  two  forms  exist  side  by  side. 

ATERNITA,  ETERNITA;  ACCELL£NT£,  ECCEL- 
LeNT£;  ACCHIAL£,  ACCHIAR£,  UCCHIaLE,  occhiale; 
ACCASI6N£,  UCCASIONE. 

The  forms  with  A-  are  probably  plebeian  while  those  which 
retain  the  general  character  of  the  Latin  vowel  are  patrician. 

Sometimes  A  becomes  initial  by  the  disappearance  of  the 
initial  consonant  (usually  G-). 

ALLIN^,  GALLING;  ALLO,  GALLO;  AMMARO, 
GAMMARO,  gambero.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  forms  with 
and  without  G-  are  coexistent. 

Compounds  with  A-|-  a  consonant  (Latin  AD-)  are  common. 

ADD6,  dove;  ABBASTANT£;  ACCANOSC£(RE) ; 
AMMANCA(RE);  ANNASCUOSTO,  ANNASCtJSO,  di 
nascosto. 

Pretonic  Initial  E. 

Pretonic  initial  E  is  usually  lost.     Sometimes  there  are  two 
existing  forms,  showing  plebeian  and  patrician  development. 
TICHfiTT/^,  ETICHfiTT/i  ;  VANG£LO,  EVANG£LO. 

It  remains  in  words  which  were  used  only  by  the  educated. 
ECONt/MO;    ELEVAZI0N£;    EMBRfiM^,    emblema; 
EQUIPAGGIO ;  ERUDIZI0N£. 

It  sometimes  becomes  A-.  For  examples  v.  PRETONIC 
INITIAL  A. 


NEAPOLITAN  75 

Pretonic  Initial  I. 

Pretonic  initial  I  usually  falls  except  in  the  vocabulary  of 
the  educated.     Sometimes  two  forms  are  coexistent. 

IMPIEGO,  MPIEGO  ;  INCANTO,  NCANTO ;  INTRAT^, 
NTRAT/^. 

It  sometimes  becomes  A-.  For  examples  v.  PRETONIC 
INITIAL  A. 

Pretonic  Initial  O.  "      '■'^ 

Pretonic  initial  O  usually  becomes  U. 

UBBERIfiNZ^,  ubbidienza;  UBBRICAZION£,  obbliga- 
zione;  UCCHIAT^,  occhiata;  UNESTA,  onesta;  UFFRI- 
(R£),offrire. 

It  sometimes  falls. 

NOR£,  onore;  P£N£JON£,  opinione;  RAZZ£J0N£ 
(orationem). 

It  sometimes  becomes  A-.  For  examples  v.  PRETONIC 
INITIAL  A. 

Pretonic  Initial  U. 

Pretonic  initial  U  usually  remains. 
UMORjE. 

It  sometimes  falls. 

N£VERZAL£  (universalem) ;  NU  (unum). 

It  is  sometimes  changed  to  A-.  For  examples  v.  PRE- 
TONIC INITIAL  A. 

Pretonic  Vowels  Non-Initial. 

Pretonic  A  non-initial  remains. 
CAPPIELLO ;  CAPILLO  ;  GALANT£. 

E. 

Pretonic  E  non-initial  remains. 
DECISIONS ;  LENTfiZ^  ;  NEPOTE. 

In  hiatus  it  becomes  I. 
CRIA(R£),  creare;  CRIANZ^. 


76  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

I. 

Pretonic  I  non-initial  generally  remains. 
FIDA(R£);  FIDtJCI^  ;  FINfiZ/^. 

Classic  Latin  short  I  (Vulgar  Latin  E)  gives  E. 
TENTORE;  DEFFECORTA,   difficulta;   LETECA(RE), 
litigare. 

O. 

Pretonic  O  non-initial  generally  becomes  U. 
CUNTa(RE);  CUNSmiO:  CUNSIDERA(RE) ;  FUN- 
TAN^. 

U. 

Pretonic  U  non-initial  remains. 
SUPINO;  SUPERIORS;  MURAGLI^. 

Post-Tonic  Vowels. 

Post-tonic  non-final  A,  E,  I  tend  to  become  E  unless  fol- 
lowed by  R,  under  which  condition  the  tendency  is  towards  A. 

SABBETO,  SAP£TO,  sabato;  fiL£C^  ;  ORGHENO  (in 
URGANIST^  the  A  is  pretonic)  ;  MMAG£N£ ;  tJRDEMO, 
ultimo ;  J0V£N£ ;  fiLL.^R^. 

Post-tonic  non-final  O  and  U  become  U. 

URACf/LO;  UOV[7LO;  MIRACf/LO. 

Final. 

Final  unaccented  vowels  become  obscure,  but  not  entirely 
confused. 


Final  unaccented  A   remains,   although  much  obscured   in 
pronunciation. 

FILM^  ;  MIA  ;  EPlSTt/L^. 


Final  unaccented  E  remains,  although  much  obscured. 
FINE;  UNZIONE. 


NEAPOLITAN  77 

I. 

Final  unaccented  I  is  usually  written  E,  although  it  is  not 
to  be  confused  with  E  coming  from  Latin  E,  as  the  E  from 
Latin  I  produced  a  vowel  change  in  the  preceding  tonic  syllable 
(provided  its  vowel  was  E  or  O),  while  the  E  from  Latin  E 
causes  no  such  development. 

CH1§T£  (m.  pi.)  CHfiSTE  (f.  pi.) 

StJjE  (m.  pi.)  S0J£  (f.  pi.) 

CH1LL£  (m.  pi.)  CHfiLLE  (f.  pi.) 

TtJj£  (m.  pi.)  T0J£  (f.  pi.) 

O. 

Final  unaccented  O  (generally  representing  Classic  Latin 
short  U)  becomes  obscured  in  sound  and  is  usually  pronounced 
as  an  indistinct  U,  although  it  is  written  as  O.  It  produces  a 
vowel  change  in  the  preceding  tonic  syllable  (if  the  vowel  of 
the  tonic  syllable  was  E  or  O). 

PUORCO  (m.)  VORCA  (f.) 
PUOSTO  (m.)  POST^  (f.) 
BUONO  (m.)  B0N.4  (f.) 

UOVO  (sing.)  OV^  (pi.) 

U. 

Final  unaccented  U  is  confused  with  final  unaccented  O  and 
produces  the  same  results. 
MANO ;  TIEMPO. 

Consonants. 

Consonants  tend  to  lose  their  force  and  are  often  confused. 
This  confusion  is  generally  of  the  voiced  with  the  voiceless 
consonants.  Metathesis  is  very  common,  especially  that  of  R. 
L  and  R  are  frequently  confused. 

Initial. 

In  dealing  with  the  initial  consonants  one  has  to  consider 
the  position  of  the  word  in  the  sentence.  At  the  beginning  of 
a  phrase  or  after  a  polysyllable  we  usually  find  what  may  be 


78  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

called  the  normal  development.  After  many  monosyllables 
however  we  notice  a  re-enforcement  of  the  initial  consonant 
which  usually  results  in  gemination.  The  most  important  of 
these  words  are  £  (est)  ;  E  (illi,  illae)  ;  A  (ad)  ;  PE  (per)  ; 
CHE  (quod,  etc).  O  (ilium)  and  A  (ilia)  are  followed  by 
initial  consonants  showing  normal  development. 

Note.)  It  will  be  seen  that  most  of  the  cases  of  gemination 
are  simple  assimilation  of  the  final  sound  of  the  monosyllable 
to  the  initial  sound  of  the  word  following,  but  in  E  (illi,  illae) 
it  must  be  in  compensation  for  the  loss  of  a  vowel  quantity 
in  the  monosyllable. 

B. 

Initial  B  usually  remains  or  is  confused  with  V,  which  is 
generally  bi-labial. 

BAGNO;  BALfiSTR^  ;  BANCO;  BANN£R.4,  bandera; 
BANNO,  bando;  VALLeN.^,  BALLEN^  ;  VALICL4, 
BAUCIS;  BUOSCO,  VUOSCO ;  VALANZ^.  bilanza; 
VARC^,  barca;  VASO,  bacio  (basium). 

When  re-enforced  it  becomes  BB. 
PE  BBAGNA(RE) ;  E  BBARCH£. 

BR  initial  remains  or  is  confused  with  VR,  sometimes  with 
PR. 

BRILLO;  BROCC^ ;  VRACCIO.  braccio ;  VRANC^, 
branca;  VRECCI^,  breccia;  BRUNfiLL^,  PRUNfiLL^. 

When  re-enforced  it  becomes  BR,  BBR. 
E  (B)BRACC£;  E  (B)BRANCH£. 

BL  initial  becomes  J  (Y)  in  purely  plebeian  words. 
JANCO;  JASTEMMA(RE)   (blasphemare). 

When  re-enforced  we  find  (G)GHI. 
E  (G)GHIANCH£  ROS£. 

In  patrician  words  we  have   BL     This  may  however  be 
simply  a  borrowing  from  the  Tuscan. 
BIAV/i,  biada;  BIANCO. 


NEAPOLITAN  79 

Note.)     We   also   find   the   re-enforced   form   BBI   which 
corresponds  to  normal  BI. 


F  initial  normally  remains.  It  is  sometimes  confused  with 
V.  Often  after  F  or  V  initial  we  have  metathesis  of  an  R 
originally  final  in  the  syllable  or  even  belonging  to  the  following 
syllable  and  the  result  is  the  initial  combination  FR  or  VR. 

FONT£;  FINE;  FERMAT.4  ;  F£ST^  ;  VROCC^,  forca; 
VRUCCAT^.  forcata;  YRaVECA.  fabbrica;  FRAVAG- 
LIERL-/,  f arfaglieria ;  FRfiV^,  febbre. 

When  re-enforced  we  often  have  FF. 
CHE  FFINO. 

FL  initial  presents  three  developments.  In  purely  plebeian 
words  it  becomes  SCI ;  in  purely  Neapolitan  patrician  words 
it  becomes  FR ;  in  words  influenced  by,  or  borrowed  from  the 
Tuscan,  it  becomes  FL 

Plebeian  words:  SCIAMM^,  fiamma ;  SCIANCO,  fianco; 
SCIOR£,  fiore;  SCItlMMO,  fiume. 

Patrician  words:  FRAUTO,  flauto;  FRACCO,  fiato ; 
FRATO,  fiato;  FR£MM.4,  flemma. 

Words  influenced  by,  or  borrowed  from,  the  Tuscan: 
FIANCO,  cf.  SCIANCO  above;  FIACCO,  cf.  FRACCO 
above;  FIATO,  cf.  SCIATO,  FRATO;  FIOCCO,  cf. 
SCIOCCO. 

When  re-enforced  we  have  SCI,  FFR,  FFI. 
A  SCIANCO,  AFFRANCO,  A  FFIANCO. 

FR  initial  remains.     It  is  sometimes  confused  with  VR. 
FRAT£;  VROCC^,  forca. 

When  it  is  re-enforced  we  may  have  FFR. 
E  FFRAT£. 

V. 

V  initial  usually  remains  but  is  often  confused  with  B,  and 
occasionally  with  P.     Metathesis  of  an  R  originally  final  in 


8o  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

the   syllable   or   even   belonging  to   the    following   syllable   is 
frequent,  the  result  being  initial  VR. 

VASO,  bacio;  VARC^,  barca;  VASCIELLO;  VEDfi- 
(RE);  BALICI^,  VALICL^.  valigia;  Y'R.OCCA,  forca; 
VRITO,  vetro;  VRIOGN.4,  vergogna;  VRfiCCI^,  freccia. 

When  initial  V  is  re-enforced  the  result  is  not  noticeably 
different  from  the  normal  development,  although  occasionally 
we  may  hear  BB. 

Initial  VR  remains. 

P. 

Initial  P  remains,  although  weakened  and  often  confused 
with  B. 

PUMAT^;  PONT£;  PORC^ ;  PORT^,  BORT^. 

When  re-enforced  it  often  becomes  PP. 
A  PPAR£ ;  CHE  PPORT.4  ? 

Initial  PL  presents  three  developments.  In  purely  plebeian 
words  it  becomes  CHI ;  in  purely  Neapolitan  patrician  words 
it  becomes  PR ;  in  words  influenced  by,  or  borrowed  from,  the 
Tuscan  it  becomes  PI. 

Plebeian  words:  CHIOV£(RE)  ;  CHIaGNE(RE)  ; 
CHItJ;  CHIANO;  CHIATTO. 

Patrician  words:  PRATfi^ ;  PRAT^NO;  PRENARIO; 
PRtCO,  piego. 

Words  influenced  by,  or  borrowed  from,  the  Tuscan: 
PIACfiRE;  PIANO ;  PIATTO. 

As  will  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  examples  sometimes 
two  forms  are  co-existent. 

Note.)  Especially  interesting  is  the  history  of  the  Eatin 
plebem  which  gives  plebeian  CHIEV£,  "  community  ",  patri- 
cian PRfiBB^,  "  lower  classes." 

When  initial  PL  is  re-enforced  we  find  CCHI,  PPR,  PPL 
A  CCHIAGN£(RE)  ;  CH£  PPRfiBB^  ;  A  PPIAC£R£. 

Initial  PR  generally  remains,  although  sometimes  confused 
in  pronunciation  with  BR.     Metathesis  of  an  R  final  in  the 


NEAPOLITAN  8l 

syllable  or  even  belonging  to  the  following  syllable  is  possible, 
resulting  in  initial  PR  instead  of  simple  P. 

PR£T.-^,  pietra;  PREMON£  (pulmonem) ;  PREVC/L^, 
pergola;  PRUBBECA(RE),  pubblicare. 

When  re-enforced  it  often  becomes  PPR. 
E  PPR£;T£;  A  PPRUBBECA(RE). 

D. 

Initial  D  remains  or  weakens  into  a  spirant,  or  R. 
DEVUZIONE;  D0J£,  due;  DIGNO;  RICE  (RE) ;  RIEB- 
BETO,  DIEBBETO;  R'O,  del. 

When  re-enforced  it  appears  as  D. 
CHE  DICITE? 

DR  initial  occurs  rarely.     It  is  kept. 

DRA6N£,  dragone;  DRAPPARL4  ;  DRUGARI^. 

T. 

T  initial  remains.  There  is  often  metathesis  of  an  R  final 
in  the  syllable  or  even  belonging  to  the  following  syllable 
resulting  in  initial  TR. 

TIANO  (tegamen)  ;  TICO  (tecum)  ;  T£RR^  ;  TRIATO, 
teatro;  TRtJVf/LO,  torbido. 

When  re-enforced  it  appears  as  TT. 
A  TTE;  A  TTORNA(RE). 

TR  initial  remains. 

TRAFECA(RE);  TRANSETO  ;  TRENT^  ;  TREZZ.4. 

When  re-enforced  it  sometimes  appears  as  TTR. 
E  (T)TR£ZZ£. 

L. 

L  initial  remains. 

LABBRO;  LACO;  lago;  LaGR£M^  ;  L£GG£(RE); 
LIBBRO. 

Re-enforced  L  initial  becomes  LL. 

E  (L)LAGR£M£;  PE  (L)L£GG£(RE) ;  A  LLATO. 


g2  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

M. 

]\I  initial  remains  although  often  weakened. 
MATTINO;        MATTO ;        MfiSS.4 ;        METT£(RE) ; 
MISCHIO. 

When  re-enforced  it  often  appears  as  MM. 
A  MM£;  A  MMETT£(RE). 

MB  becoming  initial  becomes  MM.     So  also  MV  and  NV. 
MMASCIAT^,    ambasciata;    MMEDIA(RE),    invidiare; 
MMITA(RE),  invitare. 

MBL  becoming  initial  becomes  MBI,  MBR. 
MBIANCO,  MBRANCO. 

MBR  becoming  initial  remains. 
MBRIELLO;  MBRIACA(RE). 

MM.  NM  becoming  initial  remain  as  MM. 
MMERITARS£;  MMEDICA(RE)   (inmedicare). 

MP  becoming  initial  remains. 

MPAGLIA(RE)  ;  MPEDI(RE). 

Note.)  The  development  of  MP  into  MB  is  to  be  found  in 
the  province  of  Naples.  (MBAGLIA(RE) ;  MBEDI(RE)  ; 
etc.) 

MPL  becoming  initial  becomes  NCHI  or  MPI,  occasion- 
ally MPR. 

NCHIANTA(RE) ;  NCHIASTRO ;  MPIEGA(RE), 
MPREGA(RE). 

Note.)  The  development  of  MPL  into  NGHI,  MBR  is  to 
be  found  in  the  province  of  Naples.  (NGHIANTA(RE)  ; 
MBREGA(RE).) 

MPR  becoming  initial  remains. 
MPRfiS^  ;  MPRIESTETO. 

Note.)  The  development  into  MBR  is  to  be  found  in  the 
province.     (MBRfiS^  ;  MBRIESTETO). 


NEAPOLITAN  83 

N. 

N  initial  remains. 

NASO;  NATCR^;  NEMMICO;  NEPOT£;  NUOVO ; 
N  U,  uno. 

When  re-enforced  it  is  usually  doubled. 
A  NNOI^  ;  A  NNtJjE. 

It  disappears  in  UN,  non. 
NC  becoming  initial  develops  as  Tuscan  NC. 
NCATENA(RE)  ;  NC£. 

Note.)  The  development  into  NG  is  to  be  found  in  the 
province.     (NGATENa(RE)  ;  NG£). 

ND  becoming  initial  remains  if  the  word  has  been  regarded 
as  a  compound  with  the  prefix  IN-,  otherwise  it  becomes  NN. 

NDERIZZO;  NDIAVULARS£ ;  NDURA(RE)  ;  NDU- 
VINO;  NNtlSTRI^,  industria;  NNtJRDO  (indultus) ; 
NNOGLI^  (inductilem). 

NF  becoming  initial  remains. 

NFAM£;  NFfiTTO;  NFASCIAT^  ;  NFELIC£. 

NFL  becomes  NFR  or  NFL 

NFRAGRANT£;  NFIAMMA(RE),  NFRAMMA(RE). 

NFR  becoming  initial  remains. 

NFRACETA(RE)  ;  NFRA§CA(RE) ;  NFRATTO. 

NG  becoming  initial  remains  as  NG,  the  G  taking  the  sound 
of  Tuscan  G  before  E  and  I  and  remaining  a  stop  (as  in 
Tuscan)  before  A,  O,  and  U. 

NGANNA(RE)  ;  NGEGNARSE. 

NGR  becoming  initial  remains. 
NGRANtTO;  NGRASSA(RE)  ;  NGRATO. 

NN  becoming  initial  remains. 

NNIESTO,  onesto;  NNANZE,  innanzi;  NNAMURATO. 

NQU  becoming  initial  remains. 
NQUARTATO;  NQUILtNO. 


84  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

Note.)  In  the  province  it  may  become  NGU.  (NGUAR- 
TATO;  NGUILINO. 

NS  becoming  initial  becomes  NTS  (written  NS  or  NZ). 

NSINO;  NSISTO;  NZEGNa(RE)  ;  NZERRA(RE) ; 
NZURDI(RE);  NZOMM^  ;  NZAPUNAT/i. 

Note.)  The  pronunciation  NDZ  instead  of  NTS  is  also  to 
be  heard. 

NT  becoming  initial  remains. 

NTACC^  ;  NTACCA(RE)  ;  NTAGLIO  ;  NTAVULA(RE). 
Note.)     The  development  of  NT  into  ND  is  to  be  found 
in  the  province. 

NTR  becoming  initial  remains. 
NTR£P£TO;  NTRICO ;  NTRUN^(RE). 
Note.)     The  development  into  NDR  is  also  to  be  found  in 
the  province. 

NV  becoming  initial  becomes  MM. 

MMITA(RE),  invitare;  MMEDIA(RE),  invidiare. 

R. 

R  initial  remains. 

RAD£C^;  RANCIO  ;  RANCORE;  RARO  ;  R-^GOLA  ; 
RIFA. 

S  and  X. 

S  initial  remains. 

SANO  ;  SANTO ;  S£N^PO  ;  S£MP£ ;  SfeSTO  ;  SOMM/4  ; 
SUPPRI(RE),  supplire;  StiRDO ;  Si:jRZC>,  sorso. 

X  becoming  initial  results  in  SCI. 
SCIAQUA(RE),  SCIACQUA(RE)   (ex-aquare). 

SB  and  XB  becoming  initial  remain  as  SB,  the  S  being 
slightly  palatalized. 

§BANI(RE);  SBALANZO;  SBATT£(RE);  SBARCO. 

SBR,  XBR  becoming  initial  remain  as  SBR,  the  S  being 
slightly  pfilatalized. 


NEAPOLITAN  85 

SBRAVIA(RE);  SBRENNESIA(RE),  fare  brindisi; 
§BRUGLIA(RE). 

Note.)  The  forms  §BREVUGNa(RE),  SBRIUGNa- 
(RE),  SBRUVEGNA(RE)  svergognare,  show  metathesis  of 
an  R  final  in  the  syllable. 

SC  and  XC  before  A.  O,  and  U  remain  as  SC   (English 
SHK),  the  S  being  somewhat  palatahzed. 
^CALA;  SCAM  PA  (RE) ;  §CAPPA(RE)  ;  SCARP.4. 

SC  and  XC  before  E  and  I  give  SC  (Eng.  SH)  as  in  Tuscan. 
SCETa(RE)  (excitare)  ;  SCfiS.^  ;  SC£N^  ;  SCeM^. 

SCL   and    XCL   becoming   initial    result    in    SCHI    (Eng. 
SHKY),  the  S  being  somewhat  palatalized. 
SCHIAFO;  gCHIARA(RE). 

SCR  and  XCR  becoming  initial  result  in  SCR  (Eng.  SHKR). 
SCRIV£(RE);  SCRtlPf/LO;  SCRUTENA(RE). 
Note.)     SCREMM.-^,  scherma,  shows  metathesis. 

SD  and  XD  becoming  initial  remain  as  SD,  in  which  the  S 
may  be  slightly  palatalized. 

SDEGNO;  SDRAMM/^;  §DUGANA(RE). 

SF  and  XF  becoming  initial  remain  as  SF,  in  which  the 
S  may  be  somewhat  palatalized. 

SFACCIAT^;  SFALLl^TO  ;  SFARZfiTTO  ;  SFASCIO. 

SFL  and  XFL  becoming  initial  may  remain  as  SFI,  or 
SFR,  in  which  combinations  the  S  may  be  somewhat  pala- 
talized. 

§FIANCA(RE),  §FRANCA(RE);  SFIATA(RE), 
SFRATA(RE). 

Are  these  not  perhaps  cases  of  borrowings  and  patrician 
words  and  are  not  the  true  plebeian  Neapolitan  forms 
SCIANCA(RE)  and  SCIATA(RE)?  It  is  impossible  to 
determine  whether  the  SCI  in  these  cases  comes  from  initial 
FL  or  XFL  becoming  initial. 

SFR  and  XFR  becoming  initial  give  SFR.  The  S  may  be 
somewhat  palatalized. 


86  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

SFRANTO;  SFRATO ;  §FREN^'(RE). 

SG  and  XG  before  A,  O,  and  U  give  SG  in  which  the  S  may 
be  slightly  palatalized. 

SGABeLLO;  SGARB./I;  SGATTO ;  SGOBBI^ ; 
§Gt/MMA(RE) ;  §GONFIA(RE). 

SG  and  XG  before  E  and  I.     No  examples  recorded. 

SGR  and  XGR  becoming  initial  remain  as  SGR,  in  which 
the  S  may  be  somewhat  palatalized. 

§GRANA(RE);  §GRASSA(RE);  §GRAVA(RE). 

SL  and  XL  becoming  initial  remain  as  SL,  in  which  the 
S  may  be  somewhat  palatalized. 
§LABRA(RE) ;  SLAVATO. 

SM  and  XM  becoming  initial  give  SM,  in  which  the  S  may 
be  somewhat  palatalized. 

SMAGLIA(RE);  §MACCHIA(RE) ;  §MANIA(RE) ; 
SMfeRCIO. 

SP  and  XP  becoming  initial  result  in  SP,  the  S  being 
usually  palatalized. 

SPUORCO;  §PICA(RE);  SPEDI(RE) ;  SPALLS; 
§PANNE(RE). 

SPL  and  XPL  becoming  initial  give  SCHI,  SBR,  or  SPI 
(in  all  of  which  the  S  may  be  palatalized)  according  as  the 
word  is  plebeian,  patrician  or  borrowed. 

§CHIANA(RE),  spianare ;  SCHIANO  ;  SCHIANTA(RE)  ; 
§BR£NN£(RE),  splendere;  §BRENN6R£,  splendore; 
§PIECA(RE),  spiegare. 

ST  and  XT  becoming  initial  remain  as  ST,  the  S  usually 
being  palatalized. 

§TACCA(RE);  STAFFA;  STAGNO;  §TA(RE)  ; 
STANCA(RE). 

STR   and  XTR  becoming  initial   remain   as   STR,   the   S 
usually  being  palatalized. 
STRACCIO  ;  STRACCHINO ;  STRACUOTTO  ;  STRATA. 


NEAPOLITAN 


87 


SV  and  XV'  becoming  initial  remain  as  SB,  in  which  the 
S  may  be  slightly  palatalized, 

§BENA(RE),  svenare;  §BENI(RE),  svenire;  SBEN- 
TtJR.^,  sventura. 

Note.)  SGUlZZiiRO,  svizzero,  points  to  original  SW 
or  SGW. 

C. 

C  initial  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains. 
CAUDO,    caldo;    CATaV£R£  ;    CURTIELLO,    coltello; 
CUOCO;  C0NT.4;  CONNf/L/J,  gondola;  COGLI^fRE). 

When  re-enforced  we  often  find  CC. 
A  CCASW. 

C  initial  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Tuscan. 
CITA,  citta ;  CIGLIO ;  C£R^  ;  CEPRIESSO. 

CL  initial  gives  CHI,  CR,  or  CL  according  as  the  word  is 
plebeian,  patrician,  or  borrowed  from  the  Latin  (learned). 

CHIAVA(RE)  ;  CHmD£(RE)  ;  CHIARO  ;  CREMfeNZ^  ; 
CRIMM^,  clima;  CLARINfiTTO ;  CLI£NT£;  CLIMM^. 

Note.)  It  will  be  seen  that  sometimes  two  forms  are  co- 
existent. 

When  re-enforced  CL  becomes  CCHI  in  plebeian  words. 
E  CCHIARO. 

CR  initial  remains. 

CRAP^,  capra,  shows  metathesis  resulting  in  initial  CR. 


G  initial  before  A,  O,  and  U  generally  remains,  but  is  some- 
times lost. 

GAMM^,  gamba;  GOL.-J ;  GUD£(RE)  ;  GtJMM.^ ; 
(G)ALLtN.4  ;  (G)AMM.4R0,  gambero. 

When  re-enforced  initial  G  is  never  lost.  It  may  appear 
as  G  or  GG. 

A  (G)GUD£(RE). 


88  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

G  initial  before  E  and  I  develops  into  a  weak  spirant,  usually 
written  G,  occasionally  J. 

GEMIELLO;  GENERALS;  GENERUSITA;  GfiNTE, 
JlfcNTE. 

When  re-enforced  it  is  written  as  G  or  GG  and  is  about 
equal  in  strength  to  the  Tuscan  G. 

GL  initial  becomes  GLI  or  J. 
GLIANDRy^  ;  JACCIO,  ghiaccio. 

When  re-enforced  GL  usually  becomes  GGHL 
£  GGHIACCIO. 

GN  becoming  initial  develops  as  Tuscan  GN  (NY). 
GNOPAT£,  signor  padre ;  GN6R£,  signore. 

GR  initial  usually  remains,  but  sometimes  becomes  R. 
GR£C^  ;  GRATO  ;  GRATTA(RE)  ;  RANF.^  ;  RAGNoN£. 

The  G  is  never  lost  when  initial  GR  is  re-enforced. 
E  GRANFE. 

J  and  DL 

J  and  DI  initial  give  J. 

JUORNO;  JUSTIZI^;  JURA(RE)  ;  JtJgTO ;  JtJVO 
(jugum) ;  JESSO;  JETTO;  JETTATtJR/^. 

When  re-enforced  they  give  GGI,  GGHL 
A  GGIURA(RE)  ;  A  GGETTA(RE)  ;  E  GGHIUORNO, 
£  GGIUORNO. 

QU. 

QU  initial  remains  before  A ;  otherwise  it  becomes  CH 
except  in  patrician  or  borrowed  words. 

CHISTO;  CHILLO;  QUATENO  ;  QUAs£ ;  QUATRO; 
QUAGLIO;  QUINTS;  QUIBUS;  QUESTOR^. 

When  re-enforced  it  becomes  COU,  CCH. 
t  CQUASE ;  £  CCHtSTO. 


NEAPOLITAN  89 

Medial  Consonants. 
B. 

B  intervocalic  usually  remains.  B  and  V  are,  however,  often 
confused,  and  sometimes  B  and  P.  B  is  frequently  doubled, 
especially  after  initial  A. 

ABB£L£;  ABBELIT^;  ABBEVERa(RE)  ;  ABBULI- 
(RE)  ;  AB£TO  ;  ABETATO  ;  SAP£TO,  SABBETO. 

BR  intervocalic  usually  becomes  BBR. 

ABBRfiO;  ABBREVIA(RE)  ;  ABBRtJNZO. 

Note.)  CALAVReS£,  CALAVRESATz^  show  VR. 
FRAVECz^,  fabbrica;  FR£\M,  febbre;  §FRAVECA(RE), 
sfabbricare,  show  metathesis  of  R,  and  the  B  remaining  inter- 
vocalic has  become  confused  with  V. 

BL  intervocalic  becomes  BBR. 
UBBRICA(RE).  obbligare. 

Note.)  PRUBBECA(RE) ,  pubblicare  ;  PRtJBB£C4  show 
metathesis  but  also  BB. 

BI  and  BBI  intervocalic  become  GGI. 

AGGIO  (habeo);  ASSOGGETTA(RE)  ;  BENAGGI^ ; 
MANAGGL4  ;  ARRAGGIATO. 

Note.)  ANNEGLIA(RE),  annebiare;  NfiGLI^,  nebbia; 
NIGLIO  are  difficult  to  explain. 


F  intervocalic  remains. 
ADDEFfiNNE  (RE). 

FF  intervocalic  remains. 

AFFAB£L£;  AFFACCIA(RE)  ;  AFFAMATO;  AFFA- 
TICA(RE). 

FL  and  EEL  intervocalic  give  SCI,  FFR,  FFI,  FFL,  ac- 
cording as  the  word  is  plebeian,  patrician,  borrowed  from  the 
Tuscan,  or  borrowed  from  the  Latin  (learned). 

ASCIA(RE)   (adflare);  ASCIATARS£ ;  AFFREZIONjB; 


po  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

AFFRIGG£(RE);    AFFIANCO;    AFFIAMA(RE) ;    AF- 
FIATARS£;  AFFLEZIONE;  AFFUG£(RE). 
Note  that  sometimes  two  forms  are  co-existent. 

FR  intervocalic  remains. 
ADDEFRtSCO;  ADDEFRE§Ca(RE). 

FFR  intervocalic  remains. 

AFFRANCA(RE) ;  AFFRAPA(RE) ;  AFFRlJNTO. 

V. 

V  intervocalic  usually  remains. 
ADDEVENTA(RE)  ;  ADDUVINA(RE). 
In  ARRUINA(RE)  it  has  disappeared,  but  this  w^ord  may 
be  a  borrowing. 

VV  (DV)  intervocalic  usually  becomes  BB. 
ABBIA(RE),  avviare;  ABBIENTO,  advento;  ABBIZIA- 
(RE). 


P  intervocalic  usually  remains,  but  is  often  confused  in 
pronunciation  with  B. 

ACCUPA(RE) ;  ANTIPASTO. 
^BBRECA ,  epoca  is  difficult  to  explain. 

PP  intervocalic  usually  remains. 
CAPP^  ;  CAPPIELLO  ;  TAPPO. 

PI,  PPI  (DPI)  intervocalic  may  give  GGI,  CGI,  BBI, 
or  PPI. 

ASSAGGIA(RE);  SACCIO  ;  SECCL4  ;  ADDUOBBIO; 
D6PPI0. 

PL  intervocalic.  Examples:  REPRtJBB£C/^  (not  original 
PL) ;  ALL£BR£C^,  replica. 

PPL  (DPL)  intervocalic  gives  CCHI,  PPR,  or  PPI,  ac- 
cording as  the  word  is  plebeian,  patrician,  or  influenced  by 
the  Tuscan. 


NEAPOLITAN 


91 


ACCHIANA(RE) ;  ACCOCCHIA(RE)  (ad-copulare)  ; 
APPRACA(RE),  applacare;  APPRECa(RE)  (adplicare) ; 
APPIAC£R£. 

PR  intervocalic  remains. 
CUPRI(RE). 

PT  intervocalic  becomes  TT  as  in  Tuscan. 
ACCATTIVARS£,  ADDUTTa(RE). 

D. 

D  intervocalic  may  remain ;  or  it  may  become  a  dental 
spirant,  or  R ;  or  it  may  lose  its  voice  and  become  a  weak  T ; 
or  it  may  become  an  indistinct  sovmd  designated  by  V ;  or  it 
may  disappear  entirely.     On  the  other  hand  it  may  become  DD. 

ACCAD£(RE);  ACCIDENTATO  ;  ADDfiDEC^  ;  ARA- 
PI(RE)  (adaprire)  ;  MAR6NN^,  madonna;  ACCKRtMlA, 
accademia;  CATAV£R£ ;  GRATETtJT£N£ ;  COMMETO, 
commodo;  BIAV.4 ;  CHICVO,  chiodo ;  INCHIUVa(RE), 
chiavare;  PARAVISO ;  AUNt(RE)  ;  AORNATO ;  AD- 
DORii ;  CR£DD£TO  ;  GRATETtJDDEN^. 

Note  i).  In  CHICVO;  INCHIUVa(RE),  the  D  is  not 
original  since  these  words  come  from  clavum,  inclavare,  but 
in  order  to  explain  the  vowels  we  must  suppose  analogy  of 
cludere  and  consequent  forms  clodum,  includare  as  for  the 
Tuscan. 

Note  2).  It  will  be  noted  that  sometimes  two  forms  are 
co-existent. 

Note  3).  TIEP?7L0  (tepidum);  PELAGR^  (podagra) 
show  L. 

Note  4).  PERN/C£  (perdicem)  ;  ARPINO  (Elpidium) 
show  N. 

DR  may  be  confused  with  TR. 
ALISANTRO;  CUCCUTRILLO,  croccodillo. 

DD  intervocalic  usually  remains. 

ADDEFFeNNE  (RE);  ADDAT^,  data;  ADDEREZZA- 
(RE);  ADDO,  dove. 


92 


THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 


DI  intervocalic  may  give  GGHI,  J,  GGI,  DI,  or  DDL 
AGGHIUDECA(RE):      AGGHIOGN£(RE)  ;      AGGHI- 
U§TA(RE)  ;  APOJA(RE)  ;  CUMMEDI^  ;  CUMMEDDL4. 
It  will  be  noted  that  sometimes  two  forms  are  co-existent. 

The  forms  showing  GGI  are  probably  Tuscan.     Those  show- 
ing DI,  DDI  are  probably  patrician. 

DM  intervocalic  becomes  MM. 
AMMIRAGLIO;  AMMUBIGLIA(RE). 

DN  intervocalic  becomes  NN. 

ANNUCA(RE) ;  ANNtJDO;  ANNUMERA(RE). 


T  intervocalic  remains,  although  sometimes  doubled  and 
sometimes  weakened  into  an  obscure  sound  designated  by  C. 

ACCIDENTATO;  ABBETA(RE)  ;  SCtrTO  :  STRATA; 
TtJTTO;  VUMECA(RE). 

TU  intervocalic  becomes  TT.     BATT£(RE). 

TR  intervocalic  usually  remains,  though  the  R  may  be  mis- 
placed by  metathesis  or  lost. 

ANNETRI(RE):  PRET/J.  pietra;  TRIATO,  teatro; 
PAT£,  PATR£,  padre ;  MAT£M^,  mia  madre. 

TY  intervocalic  may  become  Z,  ZZ,  ZI.  ZZI,  SCI,  or  GI. 

ABBIZIA(RE)  ;  ACCAREZZA(RE)  ;  AGGRAZIA(RE)  ; 
AMIClZI/i  ;  APPREZZA(RE)  ;  ACCURTfiZZ/^  ;  ASSOLU- 
ZION£ ;  STASCIONATO,  STAGIONATO. 

Note.)  In  Naples  Z  is  usually  TS,  but  the  pronunciation 
DZ  is  to  be  found  in  the  outlying  sections. 

Sometimes  two  forms  are  co-existent. 

L. 

L  intervocalic  usually  remains,  but  is  sometimes  confused 
with  R. 

ABBALfiRS£,  valerse;  ABBELE ;  ALEZIONE ;  UC- 
CHIAR£,  UCCHIAL£,  ACCHIAR£. 


NEAPOLITAN  93 

LL  intervocalic  remains. 

ABBALLO;  AFFULLARSE;  ALLARIa(RE),  allargare. 

LB  intervocalic  interchanges  with  RB. 

ALB^,  AREA  ;  ALBERO,  ARBERO,,  ARBORE. 

LC  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  usually  becomes  RC. 

ARCUOVO  ;  StJRCO  ;  BARCONE,  BALC6NE. 

Note.)  The  pronunciation  RG  is  to  be  heard  in  the 
province. 

LC  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  may  develop  into  UC,  the 
C  taking  the  sound  of  Roman  C  before  E  and  L  If  preceded 
by  O  or  U,  the  U  resulting  from  the  L  disappears. 

FAUCE,  ADDUCI(R£)  ;  DoC£. 

Note. )     ADDURCI  ( RE  )  showing  RC  is  also  found. 

LD  intervocalic  may  become  RD  or  UD. 
CAUDO;  SCARDINO;  FARD//,  FAUD.^. 

LG  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains  or  becomes  RG. 

C6LGA,  CORG-^. 

LG  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Tuscan. 

COGLI£(RE). 

LM  intervocalic  may  become  mm.  AMMfiNO,  almeno. 

LNE  intervocalic  develops  as  in  Tuscan.     BAGNO. 

LP  intervocalic  may  become  RP  or  UP. 
NCURPA(RE),  incolpare;  ASSARPA^RE),  assalpare. 

LS  intervocalic  may  become  RZ  or  UZ. 
ACCfiUZO,      eccelso;      FAUZO,      FARZO ;      BORZO ; 
BARZ£MO. 

Note.)     After  U  we  may  find  Z  alone.     PtJZO,  polso. 

LT  intervocalic  may  become  UT  or  RD. 

AUTAR£;  AUTeZZ^  ;  RISARDO ;  tlRD^MO,  ultimo. 

LTI  intervocalic  may  become  IZ  or  UZ. 
AIZA(RE),  alzare;  AIZATtJR.-:/ ;  AUZO  (altius). 

LTR  intervocalic  may  give  T,  UT,  or  UTR  (UDR). 
ATO,  AUTO,  AUTRO,  altro. 


94  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

LV  intervocalic  may  become  RV. 

ASSORV£(RE).  assolvere;  B£R\M  ;  PORV^,  polvere. 

Note. )   SPU VERA  ( RE ) ,  spol verare,  shows  V  alone  after  U. 

LY,  LE,  LI  intervocalic  develop  as  in  Tuscan. 
BATTAGLI^;  AMMUBIGLIA(RE). 

M. 

M  intervocalic  remains,  but  is  sometimes  doubled. 
AN£M^;    ABBALLAMIENTO ;    ABBRAMM/i ;    AM- 
MOR£;  ACCARfiMMI^,  ACCARfiMI/l,  accademia. 

MM,  NM  intervocalic  give  MM. 
AMMANCA(RE). 

MB  intervocalic  becomes  MM. 

GAMM^,  gamba;  AMMaSCI.4,  ambascia. 

MBI  intervocalic  becomes  GN. 

SCAGNO,  scambio;  CAGNA(RE),  cambiare. 

MP  intervocalic  usually  remains. 
ABBAMPA(RE),  avvampare ;  ACCAMPA(RE). 
Note.)     The  development  into  MB  is  also  to  be  found  in 
the  province. 

MPL  intervocalic  becomes  NCHI,  MPR,  or  MPI,  according 
as  the  word  is  plebeian,  patrician,  or  influenced  by  the  Tuscan. 

NCHIUMMA(RE)  ;  CUMPRIMENTO  ;  ASSEMPIO. 

Note  I.)  The  pronunciations  NGHI,  MBR,  and  MBI  are 
also  heard  in  the  province. 

Note  2.)  No  example  of  NCHI  in  the  interior  of  an  un- 
compounded  word  is  recorded,  and  this  may  be  a  development 
which  occurs  only  in  compounds. 

MPR  intervocalic  remains. 
AMPRfiS^,  impresa. 

Note.)  The  pronunciation  MBR  is  also  heard  in  the 
province. 

MN  intervocalic  becomes  NN.  DANNA(RE).  DAM- 
MAGGIA(RE)  is  probably  borrowed  from  the  French. 


NEAPOLITAN  95 

N. 

N  intervocalic  usually  remains.     It  may  be  doubled. 
ANEMA  ;  BUONO  ;  ANNOR£,  onore. 
Note.)      VELENO    and    CALON£CO    show    L    by    dis- 
similation. 

NC  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains. 
AMMALINCUNmS£;     AMMANCA(RE) ;     BIANCO, 
JANCO. 

NC  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Tuscan  or 
becomes  NZ. 

ABB£;NC£(RE).  vincere;  ANCINO  ;  PANZ^  ;  FRANZ^. 

NCL  has  become  GN  in  GNOSTRO,  inchiostro. 

ND  intervocalic  becomes  NN. 

ABBANNUNA(RE)  ;  ABBUNNANZ^;  ADDEFFfiN- 
N£(RE);  ADDIMANNA(RE),  domandare;  DICeNNO, 
dicendo. 

NF  intervocalic  has  become  MB  in  IMBIERNO  which  is 
co-existent  with  INFIERNO. 

NG  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  generally  remains. 
ALLUNGA(RE)  ;  LtJNGO. 

NG  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  usually  becomes  GN  (as  in 
many  of  the  Tuscan  dialects),  sometimes  NG  as  in  Literary 
Tuscan. 

AGGHIOGN£(RE),  aggiungere;  A§TRIGN£(RE)  ; 
CHIAGN£(RE),  piangere;  ANGfiLECO ;  ANGIC/LO. 

Note.)     The  last  two  examples  may  be  patrician  or  learned. 

NS  intervocalic  may  remain,  but  usually  becomes  NZ. 
ACCUNSENTI(RE);  ADDENZA(RE)  ;  CANZA(RE)  ; 
PENZA(RE). 

NT  intervocalic  usually  remains. 
ACCANTO  ;  ACCIDENTATO  ;  ABBA§TANT£. 
Note.)     The  pronunciation  ND  is  also  to  be  found  in  the 
province. 


96  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

NTR  may  become  NT.     DINTO,  dentro. 
Note.)     The  pronunciation  ND  is  also  to  be  found  in  the 
province. 

NTY,  NTE,  NTI  intervocalic  become  NZ  (NTS  in  the  city, 
NDZ  in  part  of  the  province). 

ACCELfiNZ^;  AMINfiNZ.^ ;  ASSENZIALE;  ANZ£, 
anzi. 

NV  intervocalic  becomes  MM. 

ACCUMMENt(RE),  convenire;  AMMENTa(RE)  in- 
ventare;  BEMMENtlTO,  benvenuto;  MMIDI^,  invidia. 

R. 

R  intervocalic  remains. 
CXJRA  ;  PER^. 

Note.)  In  the  Infinitives  of  verbs  the  last  syllable  is  usually 
dropped  and  we  have  PENZA ;  CURA ;  FINI ;  LtGGE ;  etc. 

RR  intervocalic  remains. 
ACCORR£(RE);  ACCURRfiNZ.t/. 

RB  intervocalic  remains. 

AGGARBA(RE);  BIRBoN£;  AMMURBA(RE). 

Note.)     AtJSCIL'^LO,  arbusciolo,  shows  its  disappearance. 

RC  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains. 
ABBARCA(RE)  ;  FURCA(RE). 

Note.)  The  pronunciation  RG  is  to  be  heard  in  the  pro- 
vince. 

RC  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Tuscan,  or 
becomes  RZ. 

AMMARCIA(RE);  MERC£,  MERZfi;  PERZO. 

RD  intervocalic  remains. 

ABBUORDO;  ACCUORDO ;  ACCURDA(RE). 

RG  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  may  become  RI  or 
remain. 

LARIO,  LARGO;  ALLARIA(RE),  ALLARGA(RE). 


NEAPOLITAN 


97 


Note.)     PRfeVt/L^,  pergola,  shows  metathesis  of  R  and  a 
regular  development  of  intervocalic  G. 

RG  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Tuscan. 
Note.)     PROJ£(RE),   porgere,   shows   metathesis  of  the 
R  and  a  regular  development  of  intervocalic  G. 

RM  intervocalic  remains. 
ADDURMI(RE);  ALLARM5. 

RN  intervocalic  remains. 
AT£:RNO ;  ATERNITA. 

RS  intervocalic  becomes  RZ. 

AMMURZA(RE) ;  ARZENALE;  ARZ£:N/CO;  ARZO; 
ARZtJR^;  PERZIAN^. 

RT  intervocalic  usually  remains,  but  sometimes  becomes  RD, 
ACCERTA(RE);         ACCUORTO ;         ACCURTfiZZ^ ; 
ARD/C^,  ortica. 

S. 

S  intervocalic  remains,  occasionally  being  doubled. 
ABBUSA(RE);   ABBlJSO ;   ACCASA(RE)  ;   ACCtrSO; 
AMMUS(S)A(RE). 

SS  intervocalic  remains,  often  taking  on  a  certain  palatal 
quality  and  sometimes  being  written  SCI. 
ACCESSIVO  ;  CASCfiTT^  ;  CASCI^,  cassa;  ABBASCIO. 

SC  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains,  the  S  being  somewhat 
palatalized. 

ABBU§CA(RE) ;  AFFU§CA(RE) ;  MASCf/LO  ; 
FUOSCO. 

SC  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Tuscan. 
AMMASCIAT^ ;  ACCUNOSC£R£. 

ST  intervocalic  remains,  the  S  becoming  somewhat  pala- 
talized. 

ABBA§TA(RE);  ABBI§TA(RE),  avvistare;  AC- 
CU§TA(RE). 


98  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

STR  intervocalic  often  becomes  ST  (with  a  slightly  pala- 
talized S). 

MASTO,  maestro;  INCHIASTO,  impiastro;  PULLASTO. 

SY,  SE,  SI  intervocalic  become  S. 

VASO  (basimn);  CAMIS^,  camicia;  CERASO  (Cera- 
seum). 

C. 

C  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  generally  remains. 
ADDUCA(RE),    ADUCA(RE),    educare;    AFFATICA- 
(RE);  DICO. 
Note.)     In  part  of  the  province  it  is  confused  with  G. 
DIGO. 

C  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Roman. 
ABBECENA(RE),     avvicinare ;     AFFECACE,     efficace ; 
AFFICIALE,  ufficiale. 

CC  before  A,  O,  and  U  remains. 
BOCC^;  ACCASIONE;  ACCUPA(RE). 

CC  before  E  and  I  may  become  ZZ  or  CC(I). 

AZZETTA(RE);  AZZIETTO  ;  LAZZO  ;  ABBRACCIA- 
(RE);  ACCACCIA(RE)  ;  AFFACCIA(RE),  AF- 
FAZZA(RE). 

CL  intervocalic  becomes  CCHI. 

UOCCHIO;  UCCHIAT.4. 

Note.)     AGRlSSii,  ecHssi,  is  probably  patrician. 

CCL  intervocalic  becomes  CCHI  or  CCR,  according  as  the 
word  is  plebeian  or  patrician. 

ACCHIAP(P)A(RE)  ;  ACCRAMA(RE),  acclamare. 

Note.)  ACCRAVACA(RE),  accavalcare,  is  an  example 
of  metathesis  resulting  in  CCR. 

CR  intervocalic  may  remain  or  become  GR. 
LACR£M^,  LAGREM^. 

CT  intervocalic  becomes  TT  as  in  Tuscan. 
TtTTO,  tetto;  FATTO ;  AFFfeTTO. 


NEAPOLITAN 


99 


CTY,  CTE,  CTI  intervocalic  become  ZZ,  ZI  as  in  Tuscan. 
ARRIZZA(RE) ;  BENEDIZICNE. 


G  intervocalic  before  A,  O,  and  U  may  remain;  or  it  may- 
lose  its  voice  and  become  a  weak  C ;  or  it  may  become  an  in- 
distinct sound  designated  by  V ;  or  it  may  lose  its  consonant 
value  either  partially  or  completely  and  become  J  or  disappear. 

BRIGANT£,  BRICANT£,  BRIANT£;  §TR£C/^ ;  TE- 
CU'LA;  STROL^CO;  LETECA(RE)  ;  SPAVO ;  JtlVO ; 
StrVERO;  PAVA(RE),  pagare;  PREJA(RE)  ;  CHIAJ^, 
piaga;  ANNEJA(RE),  annegare;  NI6ZI0,  negozio; 
RAOST^,  aragosta;  AtrSTO,  agosto. 

G  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  may  become  J  or  GG  or 
remain. 

VkGE^A,  VKGGE^A;  LfeGGE;  L£GG£(RE),  LEJ£- 
(RE);  FAJO,  faggio. 

GG  intervocalic  before  E  and  I  develops  as  in  Tuscan. 
AGGENTAGLI^;  ALLOGGIA(RE). 

GGL  intervocalic  becomes  GGHL 
AGGHIAJA(RE),  agghiacciare. 

GN  intervocalic  becomes  palatal  as  Tuscan  GN. 
ACCUMPAGNA(RE);     ARREGNA(RE) ;     ASSIGNA- 
(RE). 

GR  intervocalic  often  becomes  CR,  but  it  may  remain,  or 
become  R. 

ACRO;  SCENOCR^FO;  TELfiCR^FO;  ANNEGRI- 
(RE)  ;  ALLERAMfeNTE. 

GGR  intervocalic  usually  remains. 

AGGRANI(RE);  AGGRAVARSE;  AGGRAZIA(RE). 

J- 

J  intervocalic  becomes  V  in  P£VO  and  disappears  in 
MAOR£,  maggiore. 


lOo  THE  DIALECTS  OF  CENTRAL  ITALY 

MAGGI6R£  is  a  borrowing  from  the  Tuscan  and  is  usually 
used  to  designate  rank  in  the  army. 

Final  Consonants. 

Final  consonants  had  mostly  disappeared  in  Vulgar  Latin. 
However  final  S  in  accented  syllables  persisted  and  has  left 
a  trace  in  Neapolitan,  appearing  as  JE, 

NlJJE,  noi  (nos)  ;  VtJjE,  voi  (vos). 


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